
'o> * 

* 

❖ -p K v" 1 ^ 

• A 


V* <f \ w/ <r % vw^“ ^ ■ 


>rV°’Vt^°' 


“ -IHP 5 ,? *s°* *» 

^ <r *' 1 *>!** v.vV** -0 ’ v^r°*.\* 


* «>(> ^ 

, o r v" * 
k° %<£ o 

r ° Vv-V o 

v<. 


v 'f«1*o,\ |, 'n “ 




v^A^% *i^R: 0 v°v : ^ 

^ 7 ^V n ‘A A >3 “°' 

* A - *«* <0 w /jfito # : 


% w/ <^ y % ° 

ty xx, vTy«* a , . <r 

■ cO MG * # \) 

u o s*> .* ^ 


+y 

&* cO^i} 


r ff n * 



V 

x O W M\fT jT <t/ w .0> v Mir^ *, ^-sX^ "/X 

^ .4 <Kv ^ < 


«5o y 


* -v , 


* <0 Vi * I 

*f*ZzlljGv * O ^ ~ + *Z§Wj<S 

%f A: VfA« V 

>fx ° * 1 VxX ** x* * ‘ >Vrx 

* V-n* ° aSslfi% . ^OV * ISMg. 


V.7-* -- *'• 


> U >, 


^ *^ t ^C/Ar v ❖ O *Y * ,r W 

jl V^/jfljt: *W 

■ ^•'•% • «5B»/ \^W»- 

?5&-X‘ ' Xs 

^ ? i3 ^^K 


* ^vj Vk ^ o *“ 

W |JH\ W#iV 


XX 

*7 V 


> vlPP** x\ *J8?/ x\ 

* “'A' 0 * ***$?***•* °+o* * * *VX i, *< 

% V. cr * lS 5 ««w/' u 0 ^ PjasMtei. 

x w °4S»* *<x *ifS 

& 0 .AO. * ^mw * *oy,. * fsyg? 


lifev X 0 * *11® ; - 

W^s^v ^ 0 +J4%[W& * \0 \ *X n *S*»*' 

ir ° K0 ’ Xx * °* V*” *!«* %• * * V!>, ‘ 0, 


•V» V* 


>V * ISjP * XX V 

,V' ,, X* | - | X 


,<£■* 


rx<C • o°^£ 

•■ ^ m// ^ - %-& - 
4l o 


1P<1 












\ 





















































































V 

r 

. 













. 























































































































































/^\ 

1 



Jatlictfaiul goto. 



























































. 






















* 











- 



















































































































































































® tu 

Strasuri; of tlnj Jura. 


BY 

FRA^Z HOFFMANN. 


fram tlu 


B Y 

J. FREDK. SMITH. 



PHILADELPHIA: 
LUTHERAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION. 
1870 . 


L/ 


T27 

,,H t78 


Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by the 
LUTHERAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 
in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States in 
and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 


STEREOTYPED BY J. FAGAN & 80N, PHILADELPHIA. 



CAXTON PRESS OF 
8HERMAN & CO., PHILADELPHIA, 



CHAPTER I. 

The Ruined Harvest — The Emigrants . . 9 

CHAPTER II. 

In a Strange Land 48 

CHAPTER III. 

The Inca’s Treasure 69 

CHAPTER IV. 


A Wicked Deed 102 

CHAPTER V. 

The Silver -Mine 136 

CHAPTER VI. 

Juan Santqs. 161 

vii 




















THE 

TREASURE OF THE INCA. 


CHAPTER I. 


THE RUINED HARVEST THE EMIGRANTS. ' 

HE harvest was at hand ; the 
golden ears were ripening 
upon the field, and waved their 
heavy heads in the wind. Far- 
mer Anger stood with his wife 
before the gateway of his yard, 
and looked with satisfaction over the blessed 
fields, whose excellent condition seemed to 
promise a rich return for all his labor and 



care. 


9 


IO THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

“ A glorious sight it is, mother! ” said he. 
“Our barns will be fuller than ever they 
have been since we secured this farm from 
our landlord, the Count; and this year, at 
least, we shall have no trouble in paying the 
rent of our farm. On the contrary, I think 
we can lay by a goodly sum for our Joseph, 
with which, one day, when the good God 
closes my eyes for ever, he may purchase 
the little property, and farm upon his own 
grounds. This, mother, is the dearest wish 
of my life. To cultivate our own ground is 
quite another thing from being tenant of a 
property from which we may be driven any 
moment it pleases the lord of the manor. 
Therefore the harvest gladdens me, mother ! 
It will bring us more money than we ever 
saw before at one time ! ” 

“ God grant it! ” answered Frau Lisbeth, 
from a full heart. “ It is true, indeed, that 
the good God has richly blessed our labor; 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. II 


but, I know not why it is, I feel as though 
a stone lay upon my heart, and I cannot 
rejoice. It seems to me as if some mis- 
fortune would yet come upon us.” 

“ Don’t be so desponding, Lisbeth ! ” 
laughed the farmer, tapping his wife good- 
humoredly on the shoulder. “ What can 
possibly happen now to injure us ? Day 
after to-morrow, we begin to reap; the 
scythes are already as sharp as razors: so 
you can dismiss all fear from your mind.” 

“ Well, God grant all may be well ! ” 
answered the wife, with a half-suppressed 
sigh. “ But until we have everything under 
shelter, I shall not be free from anxiety.” 

“You women are ever borrowing trouble; 
it is always so, and I ’m used to it in you, 
Lisbeth,” answered the farmer, playfully. 
“ I must only have patience, and when the 
good God’s blessing is complete, I will 
laugh at your fears right heartily. But see, 


12 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

there comes our Joseph with the hay- 
wagon! Look, Lisbeth! A smart youth, 
our boy, and he will one day make a thor- 
ough farmer. Only see how he can guide 
the team already, and he has scarcely en- 
tered his sixteenth year! See how sharp 
he turns the corner ! — there is not a hand 
on the farm could do it better : how proud 
you must be of him! ” 

“Yes, that I am,” returned Frau Lisbeth, 
with emphasis, and over her still somewhat 
melancholy face there flitted a ray of joy. 
“Joseph is my pride and my delight! any 
mother would rejoice in such a son. Has 
he ever caused us trouble, the good youth ? 
Ever diligent, active, and careful, for his 
years. The school-master even had to praise 
him, although he did not like it that our 
Joseph threw his Franz so much in the 
shade. And now that Joseph has left school, 
and is constantly upon the farm, it is truly 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 13 

wonderful how skilfully and earnestly he 
applies himself to everything.” 

“ Yes, Lisbeth, he is thoroughly calculated 
for a farmer,” assented the father, nodding 
his head approvingly. “ This is why I wish 
so earnestly that I may one day see him as 
a freeholder upon his own land.” 

“ That you can easily enough do,” said a 
strange voice, that had heard the last words 
of the farmer. “You need only go, as so 
many thousands do, where ground is not so 
dear, and where a German manor can be 
procured for a mere song. It is not so far 
to America that one cannot go thither in a 
few weeks; and once there, it is as good as 
being a baron. Yes, yes, only consider 
neighbor; I’m quite in earnest, and I have 
thought very often whether it would not be 
better for me to give up teaching, and emi- 
grate, with my Franz, to the New World. 


14 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

There life is quite a different thing from 
what it is with us.” 

The farmer shook his head. “ Would it 
be so easy for you to tear yourself away 
from your native soil ? ” he answered the 
school-master. “I don’t know, but I think 
it would break my heart if I should turn my 
back forever upon the dear land that has 
given me my daily bread. My maxim is, 
‘ Stay at home, and support yourself hon- 
estly.’ ” 

“And mine is, i Ubi bene , ibi patriot;' in 
English, my country is where I can make 
the most money ! ” answered the school- 
master, with an ill-concealed smile at the 
old-fashioned notions of the farmer. “ My 
Franz thinks as I do, for he ’s a sensible fel- 
low, and not wanting in shrewdness. But 
Franz and I would rather not go over alone, 
for company makes settling in a strange land 
easier and pleasanter. What do you think, 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 15 

neighbor, have you no desire to emigrate ! 
You, and perhaps some other farmers in the 
neighborhood, might go with me ? ” Farmer 
Anger looked smilingly at his wife, and 
asked: “What do you think, Lisbeth? 
What our neighbor the school-master says 
is all true enough, for I myself have read 
many good books about emigration, and 
have everywhere found it stated that one 
can buy a beautiful piece of land for a few 
hundred dollars. To become one’s own 
master there , is comparatively easy.” 

“I believe it,” answered Frau Lisbeth, 
earnestly — “believe everything that the 
school-master has told us about the New 
World over the sea; but I say he who sits 
well should not change. What do we need 
here at home, father, that we should be dis- 
satisfied, and wish for something better? 
There are, indeed, many who are richer and 
more prosperous than we, but are they any 


1 6 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

happier? No, father! Let us be satisfied 
with what the good God has given us, for 
it is enough to make us happy. We are 
healthy, we have a farm that supports us, 
a good landlord who does not oppress us, 
and God has blessed our labor : what more 
do we want ? ” 

Farmer Anger shook his head approv- 
ingly. “You have spoken sensibly and 
well, wife, and quite to my mind,” said he. 
“You have heard, neighbor: what do you 
say to it ? ” 

“Well, I think,” answered the school- 
master, “ that all this is very well ; but who 
can say that it will remain so ? There may 
be a failure of crops, or disease may carry 
off your cattle; the rent may be raised so 
high that you can scarcely pay it; and more 
than all, you are not sure that a new land- 
lord may not drive you from the land en- 
tirely ? Who knows what we may experi- 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 17 

ence in the next few days ? I have news 
from the city: our master, the old Count, 
is lying very ill; and if he should die, there 
will be many changes here. It ’s true, I 
don’t know the Count’s heir, but so good a 
landlord as you have had, you will not 
easily find again.” 

‘‘That is true, very true,” said the farmer; 
“ the Count has ever been to us a good, 
kind master, and I only hope that he is not 
so ill as you say. However, if we do our 
duty, and pay the rent punctually and 
honestly, a new landlord will not force us 
suddenly from house and farm.” 

“Well, I hope so,” answered the school- 
master. “ But with me things are much 
worse than with you. My calling scarcely 
supports me, and now I must and shall care 
for my Franz. What’s to become of the 
boy here at home ? The little property of 
* B 


2 


l8 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

his mother is of small moment to him here, 
while, over in the New World, well invested, 
it would yield a large interest. And then, 
when he has made a great deal of money, 
then what’s to prevent his returning to the 
old home? I am in earnest, neighbor Anger; 
I think seriously of emigrating; and it seems 
to me it would do you no harm if you 
would join with me, and make it a mutual 
affair. Think over it! Come time, come 
reason ! ” 

“ No, no, neighbor,” answered the farmer, 
declining the proposal, “you needn’t count 
upon me. My soul cares not for riches, but 
only for a modest competence; and so long 
as my Heavenly Father permits me to find 
my daily bread at home, I long not for the 
gold and silver of America. My motto, 
you know, is, Stay at home, and support 
yourself honestly.” 

“Well, perhaps one day you may talk 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 19 

differently,” said the school-master. “And 
if this should be the case, think of me, 
neighbor. God be with you till then ! ” 

And nodding his head carelessly, he left. 
Farmer Anger looked after him thought- 
fully. 

“ If he should be right — if we should get 
a new landlord, a hard, cruel, wicked mas- 
ter, who has no heart for us poor people, as 
our good Count has, it would be bad indeed,” 
said the wife, a little while after. “Only 
think, Anger, how great the drought was 
three years ago, and the great scarcity there 
was, so that we could not pay the farm-rent. 
What would we have done if the Count had 
not been so considerate ? Another perhaps 
would have driven us from the farm imme- 
diately, and without mercy. And what 
then, Anger, what then ? ” 

“Well, we could then still have put our 
trust in the good God,” answered the far- 


20 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

mer. “ God forsakes no one who looks up 
to Him, nor would He have deserted us. 
Don’t be influenced by the foolish talk of 
the school-master, mother. I know him ! 
If he wants us to go over to the strange 
country with him, he wishes it more for his 
sake than for ours. He can’t do much there 
himself, for he must carry on farming there, 
and that he knows nothing about. Do not 
then let yourself be blinded by frivolous 
reasons. As a cloud does not appear so 
dark when near as it does far off, so present 
happiness is never so perfect as it seems 
when at a distance. Therefore let us be 
satisfied with what we have. If it is not 
much, still it suffices for our simple habits 
and wants.” 

The sensible talk of the farmer was not 
without its effect upon his wife. “Yes,” she 
replied, “ I will be thoroughly satisfied and 
heartily thankful if God only preserves to 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 21 


us what we have. More than this I neither 
ask nor desire, dear husband.” 

With this the conversation ended. Even- 
ing approached ; servant and maid returned 
from the meadow, where they had been cut- 
ting hay, and the housewife must look after 
the cooking, and provide for the hungry and 
the thirsty. The call to supper soon sounded 
from the interior of the house: the farmer 
cast one more satisfied look upon the grain- 
fields, glowing in the red splendor of the 
sky, and then went into the room to take, 
according to custom, the upper seat at the 
table. Night came on ; all retired early to 
rest, in order to be fresh for work the next 
morning, and the good farmer Anger did 
not once dream of the disastrous day that 
awaited him. 

At sunrise he was again at his post, look- 
ing after his men, and seeing that his cat- 
tle were properly attended to. He had 


22 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

no cause to be dissatisfied ; but when he 
stepped from the stables into the open air, 
and cast a careful look about him, his face 
was not free from anxiety. There was not 
a breath of air ; the sun hung over the hori- 
zon like a huge, dazzling silver shield; the 
sky was clear and cloudless, but, notwith- 
standing the early hour, the air did not pos- 
sess the rare freshness of a bright summer 
morning, but rose above the earth sultry and 
oppressive. 

“ This will be a warm day,” said the far- 
mer; “ the men will have a hard day’s work 
in the sun ! ” 

Toward noon, the sky became overcast 
with white-gray clouds that gathered thicker 
and thicker, and veiled the sun, so that it 
stood in the sky like a pale disk, and an hour 
later disappeared entirely behind the black 
veil, and a broad, pale -gray wall of cloud 
approached from the west. The sultriness of 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 23 

the air became almost insupportable, and 
Frau Lisbeth watched with anxious looks 
the threatening sky. 

“ God protect us, dear husband,” said she. 
“A fearful thunder-storm seems to be ap- 
proaching ! ” 

“ If it only is nothing worse,” answered 
the farmer, with a look from which had dis- 
appeared entirely the cheerful confidence of 
yesterday. “ God help us — it comes nearer 
and nearer, and already large drops are fall- 
ing. ’Tis well that the cattle are in the 
stalls. You, Joseph, look after the win- 
dows in the house: I will go through the 
barn, and will see that everything is in order 
there.” 

Joseph, who stood with his parents before 
the gate, at once obeyed his father’s com- 
mand, and the mother went with him. The 
father went to the stables, saw that every- 
thing was right, -and admonished the men 


24 the TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

to watch, and to be at hand if anything 
unusual should occur. 

As he re-entered the yard and hastened 
into the house to his anxious family, a daz- 
zling flash of lightning shot like a huge glit- 
tering serpent athwart the dark sky, and a 
crashing clap of thunder followed, that 
seemed to shake the very ground. At the 
same time great drops of rain began to fall x 
and splash heavily upon the stone pavement 
of the yard. A few moments later the rain 
fell in torrents, and a sudden, mighty storm 
of wind dashed it against the windows on 
the weather side of the house. Suddenly 
they rattled as though handfuls of gravel 
had been thrown against them, and before 
farmer Anger could cry out with pale, trem- 
bling lips, “ O God ! protect us, a hail- 
storm !” the shattered window-panes already 
crashed in the room, and large hail-stones 
mingled with rain poured after. In a few 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 25 

moments the room was filled with water, 
and Frau Anger, trembling and weeping, 
hung upon her husband’s neck, who* gazed 
with terrified looks out into the storm. 
Joseph, pale, and with folded hands, stood 
by their side. 

It was, indeed, a terrible sight which the 
unfettered power of nature displayed with- 
out. The hail fell in heavy masses, the 
storm howled around the house fiercely and 
wildly, the roaring thunder mingled with 
the rattling of the hail, and heaven and 
earth seemed to be convulsed in the turmoil. 
Yet it did not last long: the storm was soon 
over, and the sun again shone brightly 
through the rent clouds. But alas! what 
sad, cheerless destruction did it reveal to the 
tearful eyes of the family! Father, mother, 
and son stepped out before the door, and 
looked anxiously around. 

“Alas! alas!” sighed the mother. 


3 


2 6 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

“ We are ruined ! ” murmured the father, 
with quivering lips, and Joseph wept aloud. 

It was, indeed, a sight to bring tears to 
the eyes ! Hail-stones covered meadow and 
field ; the yellow grain lay crushed, bruised, 
broken, and beaten into the earth ; all pros- 
pect of a plentiful harvest was gone, and 
misery and want smiled in derision upon the 
unfortunate family from the desolate fields 
which only a few hours before promised so 
rich a return. 

“Ah, my presentiment, my fearful pre- 
sentiment ! ” lamented Frau Lisbeth, wring- 
ing her hands. “What a terrible misfor- 
tune! A few moments have rendered us 
beggars ! ” 

The farmer, meantime, had become calm, 
and had lifted his crushed heart in silent 
prayer to God. He stood there, pale, it is 
true, with suppressed terror, but his manly 
courage gradually returned, and he felt him- 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 2J 

self strong to administer comfort and con- 
solation to his wife. 

“ The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken 
away ; blessed be the name of the Lord ! ” 
solemnly he spoke. “ Complain not, and 
despair not, dear wife, but trust in the Lord, 
that He will lift us up again, after having 
humbled and tried us so severely. That 
which comes from His hand, be it good or 
ill, must be borne submissively and patiently. 
Who can comprehend the thoughts of God ? 
Therefore be comforted: the Lord doeth all 
things well, even though it may not so 
appear to us blind mortals ! ” 

“But what shall become of us? ” lamented 
the wife. “ The whole harvest is destroyed, 
the bread is taken from us, and we must sell 
everything we have to make up the rent. 
And how then shall we live? We are sorely 
afflicted ! ” 

“ Take no thought for your life, what ye 


28 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

shall eat, or what ye shall drink, nor yet 
for your body what ye shall put on/’ 
answered Father Anger, in the words of the 
blessed Saviour. “ The Lord who feeds the 
fowls of the air, and clothes the lilies of the 
field, will not forget us His children, in our 
great need! To-morrow morning early I 
will set out, and go to our landlord. When 
he hears what has happened us, his heart 
will not be closed to its usual goodness. 
Therefore look up to heaven, wife ! The 
good God still reigns, and in Him will we 
put our trust ! ” 

Frau Anger sighed, and her tears flowed 
fast, and fell upon the ground. She could 
not recover so soon from the heavy blow, 
and the comforting words of her husband 
did not cheer her. She grieved and lamented 
the whole day long, and could not acquiesce, 
however much her husband and Joseph en- 
deavored to awaken in her new hope and 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 29 

cheerful confidence. The next morning, 
when Farmer Anger bade her adieu, before 
riding over to the city, only a few miles dis- 
tant, to tell the landlord of his misfortune, 
her eyes were still filled with tears, and a 
gloomy cloud hung upon her forehead. 

“You will see,” said she, sadly, “your 
journey will be in vain ! However well the 
Count has dealt with us heretofore, this time 
he will not offer you a helping hand. I 
know well, misfortunes never come singly, 
and the good God has not yet entirely emp- 
tied the vials of His wrath. I feel it here: 
I have the same anxious forebodings that 
oppressed me day before yesterday, and I 
am only too well convinced that I am not 
deceived. Your going is in vain, my poor, 
dear husband ! ” 

Farmer Anger sadly shook his head. “It 
pains me, Lisbeth,” said he, “that you have 
so little trust in God, and so little confidence 


3 


30 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

in the kindness of the Count. But only 
have patience ; I will be back before even- 
ing, and I confidently hope that I shall 
bring with me good news. The Count is 
not hard and inexorable, as you seem to 
think, but a kind, generous man. I am 
sure he will not refuse my request, since it 
is by no fault of ours that we have been 
unfortunate. Take courage! I will be back 
soon ! ” 

With these words he shook her hand, 
mounted his horse, and rode away. In two 
hours he arrived at the city, and dismounted 
before the house of the Count. Maturely 
and carefully he had considered on the 
way what he should say to his landlord, and 
was fully persuaded that the Count would 
willingly and readily grant his prayer. He 
wished, indeed, nothing more than a respite 
of interest until the next year. The Count 
was a rich, a very rich man ; he had always 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 31 

been kind to him, and to his other tenants ; 
he could not, therefore, refuse this reasona- 
ble request. 

Thus confident, Father Anger, after he 
had fastened his horse, entered the beauti- 
ful house, and asked the servant that met 
him in the hall, whether he could speak 
immediately with the Count ? He stared at 
him in surprise ; saying : “ My good Anger, 
have you not heard that our good master 
died yesterday morning ? We sent out 
a messenger at once to inform the ten- 
ants.” 

The poor farmer stood as though struck 
by lightning. Worse news could not have 
been told him, for he loved the deceased 
Count sincerely, and then, too, he feared 
that perhaps his request would find no favor- 
able reception with the heir. The gloomy 
forebodings of his wife fell heavily upon his 
heart, and, with no little dread, he asked to 


32 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

whom he must apply for remission of the 
rent, or at least, for delay of payment.” 

“ Remission of the rent — delay of pay- 
ment ? ” said the servant, compassionately. 
“ This will be hard to get. Our new master 
is not like the old one. He is cruel, proud, 
and avaricious, as we, the house-servants, 
have often enough experienced. One-half 
of our number he has dismissed already, 
although the Count has scarcely closed his 
eyes, and he has also announced to the rest 
that their wages would be reduced. He 
calls us nothing but useless rabble and lazy 
eye-servants. The most of them will remain 
no longer than till their time is up, and I 
am one of them. Yes, Anger, the good 
times are gone since our good, kind master 
is dead. How does it happen that you are 
in want ? I thought you had a splendid 
harvest upon the field ! ” 

Farmer Anger narrated the misfortune 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 33 

that had happened him, and the servant 
shook his hand compassionately. 

“ That is bad, very bad ! ” said he. “ Our 
old master, I know, would not only have 
remitted you the whole rent, but would have 
shown you many kindnesses besides. But 
the new one — I doubt if you will meet with 
a kind reception. Nevertheless, you must 
try, Anger; and I will announce you, even 
should I lose my place by doing so.” 

“ But tell me, Johann, who the new mas- 
ter is?” asked the farmer. “And where 
does he come from ? ” 

“ He ’s a distant relation of our late mas- 
ter, a Baron Syltberg,” answered the servant. 
“ We have not known him until this sum- 
mer, when he first came here and made his 
home with the Count. He is now the heir 
of all his property, because there is no 
nearer relative. You can soon learn to 
c 


34 THE treasure of THE INCA. 

know him personally, Anger. Wait only a 
little while. I will announce you at once.” 

The servant went into the inner apart- 
ment, but soon after returned and beckoned 
the farmer to approach. The poor man fol- 
lowed with a heavy heart, and stood in a 
moment before the Baron, who measured 
him with a searching look from head to 
foot. His features were hard and repulsive, 
and his voice, asking, “ Who are you, sir ; 
what do you want ? ” sounded anything but 
friendly to the farmer’s ears. Nevertheless, 
he took courage, told his misfortune in a 
few touching words, and besought him for 
kind indulgence in the payment of the rent. 
The Baron knit his brow darkly. 

“ Pure knavery and lies,” he answered, 
roughly. “ I know how you farmers always 
try to deceive the landlords. But I am not so 
silly as to let myself be taken in thus. Hear 
your answer once for all: If you do not pay 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 35 

the rent to the last penny on the appointed 
day, you will be driven from the farm the 
day after. Depend upon that: I will use no 
ceremony. And with this, begone !” 

A motion toward the door accompanied 
the latter words; but Farmer Anger, in his 
terror and anxiety, understood it not, but, 
with tears in his eyes, begged once more 
for relief, while at the same time he asserted 
his honesty and integrity. 

“Once for all,” cried the Baron to him, 
“ if you do not pay, you will be driven 
from your nest, and that quickly! I have 
not come here to be pulled about by the 
nose by you knaves. And now be off! I 
have more to do than to listen to your hypo- 
critical whining.” 

“Well, then, may God forgive you for 
driving a poor family from house and farm, 
and plunging them into hopeless misery,” 
said Farmer Anger, touched to the quick by 


36 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

the scornful treatment he had received. 
“ May you never stand before one higher 
and mightier than yourself, and be treated 
as I am treated now.” 

“ Begone, begone, impudent fellow ! ” 
furiously roared the Baron. “ Begone at 
once, or I will call my servants and order 
them to put you out ! Off with you ! ” 

The poor farmer saw now that he could 
not succeed in touching this merciless heart. 
He suppressed the tears that welled up warm 
from his heart, and departed with tottering 
steps. The servant waited for him without, 
and tapped him kindly on the shoulder. 

“I see it has turned out as I expected, 
my poor Anger,” said he. “But courage, 
friend ! There are other farms in the world, 
and you will find another, where you will 
thrive better.” 

Farmer Anger shook his head sadly. 
“ Without money, and without a friend, 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 3 7 

never ! ” he answered. “ I am a ruined man ! 
God help my poor wife and my boy!” 

Discouraged and much depressed, he 
mounted his horse again, and returned 
home. As soon as his wife saw his face, 
she knew that her anxious forebodings had 
been realized. With a painful smile she 
extended to him her hand, and said: “Cour- 
age, dear husband ! God will help us !” 

Strange! The feeble wife, who was de- 
spondent so long as the decision of her fate 
was uncertain, was now, when the worst had 
happened, all at once courageous and strong 
— stronger than her husband, whom it was 
now her turn to comfort and strengthen. 

“ Something must be done,” she said, a 
few days later, as the farmer, lost in deep 
thought, sat in his arm-chair before the fire, 
and stared before him with fixed eyes 
“Since we cannot retain the farm without 
assistance, we must needs think about some- 


4 


38 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

thing else. I have been thinking a great 
deal of what the school-master lately said. 
If we sold everything we have, there would 
be enough to pay the rent of the farm, and 
we could have a few hundred dollars besides. 
This would not be sufficient, it is true, for 
us to begin again upon our present farm, or 
even upon another; but it might be enough 
to enable us to acquire a new home in a 
strange land. We are driven from house 
and farm; hope blooms for us no longer in 
the fatherland; therefore, I think it no wrong 
to turn our backs upon it, and to go wher- 
ever we may hope to gain an honest liveli- 
hood. If God be with us, He will enable 
us to attain our object, and perhaps His 
blessing will extend so far as to permit us 
to return, even though it should be when 
we are old, to our home, and end our 
lives here. Think about it, dear husband ! 
You can count upon me; whatever you 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 39 

may think best, you will ever find me faith- 
ful at your side ! ” 

The farmer was all attention while his 
wife spoke thus soberly and sensibly; his 
stern features relaxed, his eyes sparkled 
again, and heartily he seized the hand of his 
excellent wife. 

“ Lisbeth,” said he, “ have you then been 
able to read my mind ! I have just been 
thinking of this very thing myself, and 
feared that you would not consent. And 
now you yourself propose it! Yes, you are 
right: the period has arrived which the 
school-master foresaw — we are as good' as 
driven from house and home ; we cannot 
accomplish our wishes for our son here in 
our fatherland ; therefore I think it is time 
to seek elsewhere a field for our labor. I 
will speak about it to the school-master. 
We are not yet so old, you and I, but that 
we can do a full day’s work; and I know 


40 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

our Joseph will help us, faithfully and cheer- 
fully, as well over the sea as here. You are 
right, Lisbeth ! The times are changed, 
and so, trusting in God, we must make new 
plans ! ” 

No sooner said than done. The farmer 
went to the school-house, told the school- 
teacher how it was with him, and expressed 
his willingness to join him in emigrating to 
America. The school-master could not con- 
ceal his delight thereat, and smiled and 
rubbed his hands. 

“You’ve come just at the right time, 
neighbor Anger,” said he. “See, I’ve just 
been reading a book about Peru, in South 
America, and it has determined me to make 
my future home at the foot of the Andes. 
The land is fruitful, costs little or nothing, 
and the climate is represented to be salubri- 
ous and delightful. The necessaries of life 
cost but little care ; and if we are lucky, we 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 41 

may find a silver mine, which in a few years 
will make us rich, rich. Instances of the 
kind have frequently occurred, and many a 
beggar has returned thence a millionaire. 
Take this book with you, and read it, neigh- 
bor Anger. When you have made yourself 
familiar with its contents, we will talk about 
it again. But my resolution is taken : I go 
to Peru! Only think, neighbor, if we should 
find a silver mine there ! What a grand 
thing it would be ! ” 

“ I do not long for riches, if by industry 
and diligence I can but find an honest com- 
petence,” answered the farmer. “ This, and 
a favorable prospect for my son, is all I ask 
from my Heavenly Father.” 

“ Well, your expectations are modest, 
very modest, and I doubt not they will 
speedily be realized,” answered the school- 
master. “ For my part, / think, the more 


42 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

the better. One can never have too much 
silver and gold ! ” 

“ And I say, ‘ Give me content with god- 
liness/ which is far better than soulless 
metal,” replied the farmer, with much earn- 
estness. “ However, every one to his taste ! 
I’ll take the book with me, Herr School- 
master, and after I have read it, I will re- 
turn it.” 

In the evening, the farmer and Joseph 
read the book by turns to the mother, and 
when they had become familiar with its 
contents, deliberated what they should do. 
After much conversation, they determined 
to emigrate to Peru. The father would have 
preferred to go to North America, but since 
he desired the company of the school-mas- 
ter, and as the climate in the south seemed 
better, he decided upon South America. 
The next day the farmer told the school- 
master his decision. 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 43 

“ Then we are of one mind,” said the lat- 
ter, much pleased. “ We can start the begin- 
ning of the year, and meanwhile we must 
make use of our time in learning a little 
Spanish, so that we can make ourselves 
understood by the inhabitants. This is im- 
portant.” 

Farmer Anger quite agreed in this, and 
he began at once to prepare for his de- 
parture. The school-master procured the 
necessary books, and scarcely an evening 
passed which he and his son Franz did not 
spend with the farmer’s family, in studying 
the Spanish language. By the time spring 
came, and the snow melted on the moun- 
tains, they all understood the foreign lan- 
guage tolerably well. 

The school - master had rendered good 
service in this, and the diligence of the rest 
crowned his efforts with success. 

Father Anger was free from all embarrass- 


44 THE treasure of THE INCA. 

ment. He had sold by degrees all his effects, 
had paid punctually and honestly, with the 
proceeds, the farm rent, and still had a few 
hundred dollars left, which sufficed to pay 
the expense of the voyage to America, and 
to purchase a piece of land. The school- 
master had resigned his place to another, 
and nothing now remained to delay their 
starting. The farmer’s family took leave of 
their friends, receiving many a hearty bless- 
ing. The neighbors all regretted the de- 
parture of the worthy family, and would 
willingly have prevented it. But, alas! that 
could not be, and so they must see their 
friends set out with heavy hearts. The sep- 
aration from house and home and native 
land, from everything that was dear to 
them, was a sad trial to them. The mother 
shed hot tears as she stepped across the 
threshold of the house for the last time; and 
the father, too, could not evade a pang of 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 45 

grief; though outwardly, he restrained his 
feelings, and even comforted his sorrowing 
wife. 

“ Be calm, Lisbeth,” said he, gently. “ Nei- 
ther sloth nor folly drives us hence. It is 
God’s will that we should go, and we must 
submit to the dispensation of Heaven with 
patience and resignation. The Lord knows 
what is best for us, and will deal well with 
us.” 

The school -master bore the separation 
from home more easily than his com- 
panions. He was not concerned about what 
he left behind him: his thoughts dwelt en- 
tirely upon the future, which he pictured in 
the most brilliant colors. He built magnifi- 
cent air-castles, dreamed of nothing but 
great possessions, and of inexhaustible silver- 
mines, which it would be an easy matter for 
him to discover ; and apparently he did not 
doubt for a moment that, if he pleased, he 


46 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

might return to his fatherland in a few years 
a very, rich man. His son Franz shared 
these extravagant hopes, and his eyes 
sparkled with covetousness when his father 
spoke of the vast wealth of silver which, 
according to his assertions, lay concealed 
everywhere under the earth in Peru, and 
needed only to be sought for and dug up. 
Farmer Anger, on the other hand, smiled at 
all these representations, which he con- 
sidered nothing but empty dreams. He had 
no sympathy with the sordid aspirations of 
the school-master, but cherished the most 
moderate expectations. 

‘‘Take care, friend,” he sometimes said, 
when the former would discourse about the 
unbounded wealth of the strange land; “be- 
ware of such chimeras, for you may after- 
ward lament them bitterly. Trust in God, 
and work honestly: contentment and the 
blessing of Providence will surely follow. 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 47 

All else is empty prattle. Indeed, silver and 
gold exist in any fertile land, but one must 
know how to win them by diligence and 
perseverance, and not by vain searching for 
these treasures.” 

The school-master and his son, however, 
were not influenced by these cool observa- 
tions, but built their air-castles higher than 
ever, till at last Father Anger ceased his 
remonstrances, since he saw that all his sen- 
sible words were spoken to the wind. Thus, 
outwardly, was peace and friendship between 
the two families ; but in their real opinions 
and in their views they were far apart. Which 
was the wiser will appear in the end. Each 
now thinks he has chosen the better part. 




CHAPTER II. 



IN A STRANGE LAND. 

UR emigrants arrived, after a 
safe voyage, off the coast of 
Peru, landed in the harbor of Cal- 
lao, and went without delay to 
Lima, the capital of the country, 
where they purposed staying for 
a while, and making inquiries regarding the 
purchase of land. A fortunate circumstance 
favored them. At the inn where they put 
up they found in the host a countryman, 
who received them cordially. He had 
scarcely heard their intention of settling in 
Peru as farmers, when he clapped his hands 
joyfully and cried: “ I can help you. There 
has lived in my house for some weeks a 

48 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 49 

Spanish Don, Ramiro by name, who owns a 
beautiful tract of land, in the valley of Jauja, 
near the village of Mito. He wants to sell 
it, house and farm, cattle, and everything, 
because he has discovered a silver-mine 
near Pasco, which he wishes to develop. 
The property would suit you. It is beauti- 
fully situated at the foot of the Andes ; the 
soil is productive, the climate the most 
healthful in all Peru. If you wish, I will 
negotiate with Don Ramiro for its pur- 
chase.” 

The school-master, impelled by his rest- 
less impatience, especially when he heard 
from the host of the discovery of a new sil- 
ver-mine, had a great desire to purchase the 
plantation forthwith, without any further 
consideration. Farmer Anger, however, 
went to work more circumspectly, and 
inquired carefully about the situation of the 
valley and its distance from Callao, as well 
5 D 


50 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

as the size of the plantation offered them. 
Herr Keller, the host, cheerfully told him 
all he knew, and at last brought the owner 
himself, that they might inquire more par- 
ticularly from him. Don Ramiro, a man of 
open and noble bearing, in a few plain words 
described his property, the situation, and its 
size, which was considerable; and finally, 
asked so reasonable a price for the whole 
property, that even Father Anger was as- 
tonished at it. The money he had remain- 
ing on hand, together with that of the 
school - master, was more than enough to 
pay for the property, leaving a sum with 
which they could purchase a few necessary 
implements, and fire-arms, which they could 
use for hunting as well as for defence against 
the Indians, in case the latter should make 
an attack upon them. 

“This,” continued Don Ramiro, “very 
rarely happens ; still, it is always better to 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 51 

be prepared for it at any time. With fire- 
arms you can always, by determination and 
bravery, repel the wild bands, especially if 
you keep on good terms with the neighbors 
in the village of Mito. These are brave 
people, and I have never had to complain 
of them, although I have lived near them 
for more than ten years. Only once during 
these ten years have we been forced to de- 
fend ourselves against a hostile attack of 
the Indians. A few well -aimed musket- 
shots showed them our vigilance, and drove 
them off, perhaps forever; for since then 
they have not shown themselves.” 

Notwithstanding the assurance of Don 
Ramiro, Frau Lisbeth exhibited some un- 
easiness at the mention of the Indians, 
although the purchase of the property 
seemed so advantageous that she soon for- 
got her fears. The school-master was anx- 
ious to conclude the bargain ; the others, too, 


52 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

were favorable to it. Father Anger alone 
withheld his consent. 

“ If I could only see the property before- 
hand,” he said. “ I do not like to purchase 
blindly what perhaps may not answer our 
purpose, and may even become a burden.” 

“You are right, senor,” answered Don 
Ramiro. “ Go and look for yourself. If 
the property pleases you, take possession of 
it; and in order that you may have no diffi- 
culty in doing so, I will give you a letter to 
my steward. If it does not please you, you 
can take up your staff and go farther. I do 
not ask any money from you now — not until, 
after seeing the property, you conclude to 
purchase. In four weeks, I myself will go 
to Mito, and then we can conclude the busi- 
ness.” 

This open and disinterested proposal of 
Don Ramiro removed the last scruple of 
Father Anger. 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 53 

“Well, let it be so,” said he. “In four 
weeks we will either conclude the purchase, 
or ask your pardon for having given you 
unnecessary trouble.” 

“ Good,” answered the Don. “ I am satis- 
fied you will be pleased with the property in 
Mito. Farewell till then. The letter to my 
steward you shall receive within an hour.” 

With these words the Spaniard made a 
polite bow and took his leave. The others 
then hastened to make their preparations for 
the journey. Herr Keller, the host, kindly 
assisted them in this, took them to the places 
where they could buy what they wished 
cheap and good, took care that they were 
not cheated or overcharged by cunning 
dealers, and gave them good advice for 
their guidance. By evening everything was 
provided: on their return to the inn, they 
found Don Ramiro’s letter to his steward, 
and thus nothing now remained to prevent 


5 


54 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

their departure to their future home on the 
following morning. Early in the day they 
started, and arrived safely, after a journey 
of several days, in the valley of Jauja, whose 
fertile soil, watered by silver-clear brooks, 
and enclosed with high mountains, was 
about to become their new home. 

Toward noon, they reached the village of 
Mito, were shown at once to the plantation 
of Don Ramiro, which was only a mile from 
the village, and were received by the stew- 
ard, after they had given him the letter from 
the Don, in the most friendly and hospitable 
manner. The house into which they were 
conducted was, indeed, neither very large 
nor beautiful, nor convenient, but in the 
several little apartments there were at least 
sleeping-places, and in the store-room food 
and drink in abundance to satisfy and re- 
fresh our hungry and weary travellers. 

As it was rapidly growing dark, they 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 55 

could not examine the surroundings of the 
house, and the fields and herds. Father 
Anger reserved this for the next day, 
although he was already convinced, from 
the answers the steward made to his various 
questions, that the owner had not spoken 
too highly of the fruitfulness and the beau- 
tiful situation of the property. He retired 
to rest with his family, quite satisfied. On 
the contrary, the school-master and his son 
still remained awake, and kept the steward 
busy answering questions about the sur- 
roundings of the valley, and whether there 
might be any hope of discovering in the 
neighborhood a rich silver vein. The eager- 
ness of the school-master frequently pro- 
voked a smile from the steward, who, never- 
theless, answered cheerfully, and gave him 
all the information in his power. 

“ Silver ore does not seem to be so plentiful 
in this neighborhood as in many other places 


56 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

in Peru; as, for instance, on the Cerro de 
Pasco” said he, “ where the richest veins are 
found, and where sometimes the pure silver 
appears on the surface. Nevertheless, there 
is no doubt that the mountains around us 
here conceal many a treasure for those who 
have eyes sharp enough to discover it. Here 
and there, some have succeeded in finding 
silver; but any one can do better by concern- 
ing himself about his land and herds, than 
by looking for silver in the ravines and gul- 
lies on the mountains. Seldom, and even 
then by mere accident, does one succeed in 
such searches. It would be different, indeed, 
were you to gain the confidence of the 
Indians living scattered about the neighbor- 
hood, and induce them to reveal their secret 
knowledge of the mines. There are plenty 
among them who know many a rich mine ; 
but they will never reveal their location to a 
white man. They know full well the trou- 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 57 

bles that follow mining, that it brings them 
much labor and little profit, and therefore 
prefer to leave the treasure in the earth and 
never to make use of it, except in case of 
extreme necessity. The knowledge of the 
richest silver-mines has been transmitted 
among them from father to son for genera- 
tions, as an inviolable secret; but, as I said, 
no white man has succeeded in worming the 
secret from the reserved Indian; and even 
brandy, which they drink so freely, is in this 
case useless. Therefore save yourself the 
trouble, senor, of looking for silver mines : 
and why should you trouble yourself? The 
soil here produces, with proper diligence, so 
abundantly, that with very little labor it will 
support you in comfort.” 

The school-master hearkened attentively 
to every word of the steward. His heart’s 
desire for riches grew stronger and stronger, 
and it was the same with his son Franz, 


58 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

who had listened in breathless suspense. 
They both pressed the steward to relate to 
them still more about the discovery of the 
silver-mines, and their great wealth, until, 
weary, he declined to talk further upon the 
subject. 

“ No more to-night, senors, if you please,” 
said he. “ It is already late — you need rest; 
and we shall have many days yet during 
which we can renew our conversation. 
Good night, senors, good night ! ” 

The greedy pair must perforce consent, 
and for the time, at least, are obliged to re- 
strain their ruling passion. The steward 
showed them to their room, and left them 
with the wish that they might find undis- 
turbed rest. But this wish was not gratified. 
The excited imaginations of the school- 
master and his son Franz revelled in glow- 
ing pictures of untold wealth, and banished 
slumber from their eyes. It was late before 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 59 

they could sleep, and their rest was dis- 
turbed by wild, fantastic dreams, that heated 
their blood and shattered their nerves. 
When Anger’s strong voice awoke them in 
the morning, they felt more tired and ex- 
hausted than when they lay down, and 
appeared with pale, sallow faces in the 
family -room, where the rest were already 
waiting the delayed breakfast, which the 
steward had taken care to prepare early for 
them. 

“ Let us make haste,” said Father Anger. 
“I cannot rest till I have gone over the 
plantation from one end to the other. You, 
too, friend Wagner, are no doubt curious to 
take a view of our future home.” 

The school-master merely nodded, ate 
hastily a few of the warm tortillas , (thin- 
baked cakes of maize,) and drank his choco- 
late in silence ; after which, he and his son 
and the Angers followed the steward, who 


60 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

had kindly offered to show them over the 
plantation. 

The experienced Farmer Anger observed 
closely everything he saw during his walk 
over the fields. He found that Don Ramiro 
had not exaggerated in his description. 
The fruitful soil produced coffee, maize, to- 
bacco, oranges, bananas, and pine-apples in 
rich abundance, and Anger knew well that 
by a little effort the present yield of the 
plantation could be doubled, or even tripled. 
The steward also called his attention to the 
fact that there could be collected in the 
neighboring woods abundance of Peruvian 
bark, balsam, rosin, honey, and wax, which 
could be sold in Lima as readily as the pro- 
ducts of the fields, and that the receipts of 
the planter could thus be greatly increased 
without much additional labor. The old 
farmer therefore felt more and more inclined 
to settle upon this plantation, and expressed 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 6 1 


his opinion unreservedly to the school- 
master. 

“ I am inclined to remain,” said he. 
“What do you think, neighbor Wagner?” 

“ I quite agree with you,” answered the 
school -master, without reflection, although, 
on his way over the plantation, he had 
scarcely cast a wandering look upon the cul- 
tivated fields. “We remain here — that’s 
settled.” 

On their return to the dwelling, they 
passed by some huts built of cane, the walls 
of which were plastered with a clayey earth. 
The roof was made partly of corn-stalks 
and partly of palm-leaves. 

“What huts are these?” asked Anger of 
the steward. 

“ They are the dwellings of the Christian 
Indians, who have hitherto worked for Don 
Ramiro,” returned the steward. “ I would ad- 
vise you also, seiior, to make a contract with 
6 


62 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

them. They understand the nature of the 
soil, and the best means of preparing it. If 
well treated, they are faithful and honest 
laborers ; and their wages are small in pro- 
portion to their work, since they have but 
few wants. They expect a piece of land 
from which they can obtain their supply of 
maize and cocoa; and beyond this they 
want scarcely anything.” 

“ I will speak to them,” said Anger. 

“And I too,” said Wagner, whose eyes 
sparkled at the mention of the Indians. 

“ Ha ! ” he thought, “ if only the Indians 
will work upon our plantation, it can be no 
difficult matter to induce them, by kindness, 
or, if necessary, by force, to reveal their 
secret. Patience ! one or the other will be- 
tray to me, ere long, where the rich treasure 
lies hid in the earth.” 

They proceeded farther. Till now, they 
had seen only the coffee -trees that sur- 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 63 

rounded the dwelling and the huts. Far- 
ther on, along the extended maize-fields, 
stood various kinds of fruit-trees, as well as 
bananas, which skirted the banks of the 
stream which flowed through the valley, 
and finally, higher up, and more exposed to 
the sun, were whole rows of rare pine- 
apples, whose juice in that warm climate is 
so wholesome and refreshing. And now, 
when they had passed the huts of the In- 
dians, they entered upon a tract of land lying 
somewhat lower, where, stretched over the 
lowlands, were green fields of reeds, that 
filled Anger with astonishment. 

“What is that?” he asked. “This is no 
common reed ! Can it really be sugar- 
cane ? ” 

“You have guessed aright, senor,” an- 
swered the steward; “and a little farther on, 
higher up the slope, you will see the buildings 
in which the cane is pressed and the sweet 


64 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

juice extracted. All is in good order. Don 
Ramiro takes great pride in keeping his 
plantation in the best of trim, and you will 
therefore do well, senor, by purchasing it.” 

“I have determined to do so, for my ex- 
pectations are more than realized,” replied 
Anger, with an expression of entire satisfac- 
tion. “ What think you, Lisbeth ? Do you 
think that you can feel contented and happy 
here ? ” 

“ Certainly,” she responded. “Wherever 
you are pleased, dear husband, I can be 
happy.” 

“And you, Joseph?” asked the father. 

“ Oh ! this rich, beautiful country delights 
me,” returned Joseph, with alacrity. “Tis 
true, everything seems strange to me, and I 
think it will take some trouble to accustom 
myself to the entirely new mode of living 
and cultivating the land; but believe me, 
dear father, I shall not fail in diligence and 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 6<J 

industry, and I shall, be sure, stand faithfully 
by your side, and help you with all my 
strength.” 

“ Well, then, with trust in God, I have no 
fears,” spoke the father. “We find every- 
thing here we need for our support; and 
with care and economy, I hope we shall 
soon be able to save enough to enable us to 
return to our dear old fatherland, which we 
can never forget.” 

“I hope so, senor; I believe you will ac- 
complish your purpose,” added the steward, 
who had listened to the conversation. “ Dil- 
igence, frugality, and a little prudent fore- 
sight, as a rule, are generally sure of an 
abundant reward. Only, guard against ex- 
travagant expectations ! These indeed are 
seldom realized.” 

“Seldom perhaps, but sometimes for all 
that,” muttered the school-master to him- 
self. “It depends upon the persons who 
6* E 


66 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

cherish them. Patience ! I shall first thor- 
oughly sound the steward, and then try my 
luck with the Indians. It were strange in- 
deed, if one or the other would not bring 
me upon a path that would lead to brilliant 
results.” 

They had now inspected the whole planta- 
tion, and the party returned to the dwelling. 
The rest of the day Anger and the school- 
master were occupied in dividing the land. 
Wagner resigned to Anger the larger por- 
tion, notwithstanding Anger was unable to 
pay for it in full, which he hoped to do, 
however, as soon as he had gathered the 
harvest. The house was to be occupied in 
common until Anger could build another 
upon his own ground. At Anger’s request, 
the steward promised to remain for a time 
upon the plantation, and, in a manner, to 
teach the new settlers. The very next day, 
Anger, Joseph, and Frau Lisbeth began to 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 67 

work. The Indians also were induced to 
work on the same terms as before, and it 
was not many weeks before Father Anger 
and his son were tolerably familiar with the 
management of the land and its products. 
Their previous experience was most service- 
able to them, while the excellent instruction 
of the steward more than made up for their 
temporary deficiencies. 

When Don Ramiro arrived at the planta- 
tion at the appointed time, he found every- 
thing in the best of order, received the 
purchase-money for the property, and in- 
spected the condition of the fields. He was 
astonished that the one portion of the land 
was in the finest state of cultivation, while 
the other showed unmistakable marks of 
gross neglect. 

“ How is this ? ” he inquired. 

Father Anger shrugged his shoulders. 
The steward, however, replied: “No wonder 


68 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

it looks so. These neglected fields belong 
to Senor Wagner, who, with his son, spends 
more time and trouble looking for veins of 
silver than in farming. If he continues this 
course much longer, he may expect but poor 
results.” 

We trust our young readers will mark the 
difference between the humble Christian 
farmer and the worldly, infatuated school- 
master. Our Saviour himself has said, 
“ Seek ye first the kingdom of God.” 




CHAPTER III. 

THE INCA’S TREASURE. 

HAT the steward said was only 
too true. While the Angers 
worked diligently upon the 
fields, the school-master and 
his son wandered over the 
mountains and valleys of the 
surrounding country, and often, for days at 
a time, would not make their appearance at 
home. From the very beginning, Wagner 
had troubled himself but little about his 
portion of the plantation, but had sounded, 
first the steward, and then the Indians, with 
regard to the mineral wealth of the neigh- 
boring mountains, and had thus heard many 
things that increased still more his avarice. 

69 



70 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

Neither the steward nor the Indians con- , 
cealed the fact that in the neighboring 
mountains there were veins of almost pure 
silver ; but the former did not know where 
they were to be found, and the latter could 
not be induced, either by entreaties or prom- 
ises, to lead them to the spot, or to give 
them the least clue to the situation. They 
only made merry over the greed of Senor 
Wagner, and even delighted in increasing 
it, and in exciting his sordid desires almost 
to madness. They told him wonderful sto- 
ries about the wealth of the mountains, and 
one and another would even show him now 
and then a piece of rich ore which, he as- 
sured him, he had procured in the neigh- 
borhood only the day before; but no per- 
suasion could induce any of them to disclose 
the spot. The school-master at last made 
a special effort. He one day invited a few 
Indians to his dwelling, placed before them 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 71 

food and drink, and gave them as much rum 
as they desired, hoping that some one of 
them would forget himself in his drunken- 
ness, and divulge his secret. 

The Indians came, and, when the fiery, 
intoxicating drink loosened their tongues, 
related, as usual, their wonderful stories con- 
cerning the hidden treasures of the moun- 
tains ; but the school-master listened in vain 
for the slightest hint that could lead him to 
the coveted place. Finding it impossible to 
unfetter the well -guarded tongues of the 
Indians, he tried to provoke their pride by 
contradiction, and asserted flatly that their 
grandiloquent statements were all false, and 
that there were no silver-mines at all in 
the mountains. 

If he hoped that the Indians in their 
zeal would let themselves be excited to re- 
veal their well-kept secret, his hope was in 


vain. 


72 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

“ Aha ! senor,” returned an old, gray- 
haired Indian to his repeated denials, “ I 
can tell you what will astonish you more 
than anything you have yet heard. In 
Huancayo, the large village that lies several 
miles from the plantation, there lived, years 
ago, a Franciscan monk. He was a kind- 
hearted man, and always friendly to our 
brothers, who loved him, and who took him 
birds, game, butter, and cheese. But he had 
one great fault: he was a gamester, and often 
lost his money, even to the last real. One 
day he gambled away money that had been 
intrusted to him, and fear of the disgrace 
that would befall him, when his crime would 
be discovered, troubled him greatly. One 
of our brothers found him, and had com- 
passion on him. He asked the monk the 
cause of his grief, who told him his trou- 
ble. 

“ ‘ If that is all, senor, be comforted/ said 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 73 

he. ‘You can be assisted before another 
day goes round.’ 

“The monk of course doubted; but the 
following evening the red man brought him, 
as he had promised, a large sack full of the 
purest silver ore. The Padre was relieved 
from his solicitude, and his joy was so 
great that our brother frequently repeated 
his gifts. 

“ This unlooked-for liberality did not sat- 
isfy the gambling monk ; and the more he 
received, the more he wanted. So one day 
he earnestly besought the red man to lead 
him, if but once, to the mine; and he finally 
succeeded through his importunities in hav- 
ing his request gratified. The red man 
came in the night, with two comrades, to 
the dwelling of the monk, took him, blind- 
folded, upon his shoulders, and carried him, 
with the help of his companions, several 
miles into the mountains. At last the mine 
7 


74 THE treasure of THE INCA. 

was reached, and the Padre was let down 
into a deep pit, where he could see glittering 
before his eyes the most splendid treasures. 
He feasted with delight upon the tempting 
sight, and the red man readily perceived 
that he was meditating some plan by which 
he could visit the rich mine again without 
the aid of the Indians. The monk was cun- 
ning, but the red man was more than his 
equal in the art of deception. He kept a 
sharp watch on the churchman, and noticed 
that the cunning monk dropped, from time 
to time, on their way back, one bead after 
another from his rosary, which should serve 
the following day as a way-mark. But the 
red man picked up every bead, and, as soon 
as they arrived at the dwelling of the monk, 
gave him a whole handful of them, saying : 
‘ Father, you have lost your rosary, but 
luckily I have found it.’ 

“You see, then, Senor Wagner, there are 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 75 

hidden mines in our mountains, and the 
priest of Huancayo can testify to it.” 

“And yet, I don’t believe it; I must see 
it with my own eyes,” answered the school- 
master. 

The Indian shook his head. 

“I could show you quite another thing 
than miserable veins of silver,” he answered, 
“ for I know where is hidden the treasure 
of the Inca.” 

“ The treasure of the Inca ! what is that ? ” 
asked the school-master, hastily. “ Tell me 
all about it, man ! ” 

“You wish to know, seRor?” answered 
the Indian, earnestly. “You had better not 
know it; you might bitterly regret having 
received the information. Your thirst for 
gold would be excited beyond measure, and 
yet could never be satisfied. Therefore, 
senor, permit me to keep silence ! ” 

“No, no, tell all you know about the 


j6 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

treasure,” cried the fascinated school-mas- 
ter. 

“ Well, then, listen,” continued the Indian. 
“At the time when the white strangers came 
from the distant country beyond the great 
water, into the kingdom of the Inca, Ata- 
hualpa reigned over his children. The stran- 
gers were mighty and strong, and although 
our fathers fought bravely and stubbornly, 
yet were they unable to resist successfully 
the terrible fire-arms and flaming swords of 
the strangers. Atahualpa gathered his forces 
at Caxamarca, for a final stand ; they battled 
with desperation, the Inca at their head, and 
again, so the gods willed, they were routed. 
Many were slain, the Inca himself fell into 
the hands of the enemy, and was carried 
captive to Caxamarca. In his great extrem- 
ity he promised the leader of the enemy, 
the fierce Don Francisco Pizarro, an im- 
mense ransom for his freedom. His prison 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 77 

was twenty-two feet long, and seventeen feet 
wide, and Atahualpa promised to fill it as 
high with solid gold as Pizarro could mark 
on the wall by a blow of his sword. The 
rapacious captain of the white men accepted 
the offer, and Atahualpa despatched his loyal 
subjects to collect the ransom. But all the 
gold which the Inca’s followers could pro- 
cure in Caxamarca and the neighborhood 
hardly sufficed to fill half the specified space. 
The Inca then sent messengers to Cuzco to 
make up the deficiency from the royal treas- 
ury ; and by his command eleven thousand 
lamas, each laden with a hundred pounds 
of gold, set out from Cuzco to Caxamarca. 
Then was done the infamous deed that 
covers the white men with lasting disgrace. 
Before the lamas arrived, the Spaniards 
broke their agreement with the Inca, and put 
him to a shameful death. This was done 
by the advice of Don Diego de Almangra and 
7 * 


yS THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

the Dominican monk Vicente de Valverde. 
Do not be astonished, senor, at our minute 
acquaintance with these details. The knowl- 
edge of them passes from mouth to mouth, 
and our remotest descendants will be as mi- 
nutely informed as we. Enough, the fright- 
ful murder was perpetrated, and the news 
of it spread throughout the land like wild- 
fire, till it reached the deputies of the butch- 
ered Inca, as they were driving their heavily 
laden lamas over the table-lands of middle 
Peru. It was in this neighborhood, senor, 
not far from the little village of Mito. On 
the spot where the sad intelligence reached 
them they unloaded all the lamas, without 
delay, hid the costly treasure in a safe place, 
and scattered in terror over the land. This, 
senor, is the story of the treasure of the 
Inca.” 

“ Eleven thousand lamas, each laden with 
a hundred pounds of gold. It is impossible. 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 79 

you lie ! ” cried the school-master, pale and 
almost breathless, so much was he excited 
by the mention of this immense wealth, the 
magnitude of which he could scarcely com- 
prehend. “You lie — there is not so much 
gold in the whole world ! ” 

“ Matteo never lies,” proudly answered the 
Indian. “ The gold is hidden upon the table- 
land of Mito, and many of us know the 
very place where it was concealed by our 
forefathers in the bosom of the earth.” 

“ But if you know it, why do you not 
unearth this prodigious treasure ? ” inquired 
the school-master. “ It is a lie, a lie ! And 
even were it true that the gold was buried 
there, it has long since been dug up by other 
hands.” 

“ You are mistaken,” returned the Indian 
coldly. “ None of us will disturb the gold 
to which clings the blood of our last Inca ; 
and just so sure will it never fall into the 


80 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

hands of the white men whose ancestors 
have murdered our king. But enough ! Let 
us speak no more about it.” 

The Indian tried in vain to break off the 
conversation. The ruling passion of the 
avaricious school-master was too thoroughly- 
aroused, and his soul thirsted to hear more 
and still more of the treasure of the Inca . 
He abjectly implored the Indian to give him 
more definite information, and promised him 
hogsheads of fire - water if he would point 
out more minutely the spot where the treas- 
ure was hidden. Matteo looked steadily 
into the impassioned features of the school- 
master, and slowly shook his head. But 
suddenly a grim smile shot lightning-like 
across his swarthy features. He suddenly 
raised his hand. 

“ Hold, senor,” he said. “ Never will 
Matteo betray that which his fathers have 
preserved as a sacred secret ; but you are 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 8l 


friendly toward the poor red men, you give 
them food and drink, you speak to them as 
if they were your equals, and Matteo will 
not be ungrateful. You doubt the truth of 
his word ; well, then, if you wish to see the 
treasure of the Inca , Matteo will show it 
to you.” 

Wagner uttered a cry of delight. To see, 
the treasure, was to him equivalent to pos- 
sessing it. Sparkling dreams of boundless 
wealth intoxicated his greedy soul. Yes, 
he must see the treasure, he must exert all 
his cunning to discover the place where it 
lay, and it did not seem to him to be diffi- 
cult, at least, not impossible, to deceive the 
Indian, and frustrate all his watchfulness. 
Should the worst happen, who could prevent 
his using force against Matteo, throwing 
him down, gagging him, or even killing 
him, if he ventured to resist ? Who would 
trouble himself to inquire after the fate of a 


82 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

poor Indian? His plan was quickly laid. 
He would first make Matteo drunk, and then 
insist upon his son Franz accompanying 
him. Thus, two against one, and those two 
secretly armed, it would be an easy matter 
to overpower Matteo. He expressed his 
delight to the Indian in words teeming with 
thanks. The Peruvian watched him sharply, 
as though he would read the inmost thoughts 
of his soul, and again a peculiar equivocal 
smile disturbed his dark features. 

“ Good ! ” said he. “ In three days it will 
be full moon. At ten o’clock at night be 
ready ; I shall come for you. But you must 
agree to go with eyes blindfolded, and prom- 
ise me to do nothing and practise no cun- 
ning to mark the place for the purpose of 
returning to it.” 

The school-master assented to the terms, 
and promised everything, with a secret reser- 
vation to keep only so much of his word as 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 83 

would afterward suit his purposes. Upon 
this Matteo gave a sign to the other Indians, 
who all left the house of their host to return 
to their own huts. The false-hearted Wag- 
ner looked after them with a scowl, and 
then, turning to his son, said : 

“You have heard, Franz?” 

“ Not a word, not a syllable has escaped 
me,” replied the youth, with eyes that flamed 
with no less avarice than those of his father. 

“And what do you think about the bound- 
less wealth of the Inca ? ” continued the 
school-master. 

“ It must be ours ! ” said Franz, with fierce 
resolution. “Ours — even though Matteo 
should never return to his hut again. I 
accompany you on the journey, father?” 

“ It shall be so, my son,” answered the 
father. He then told Franz, in a few words, 
the plan upon which he had already deter- 
mined. Franz expressed his approbation, 


84 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

and both resolved, at any price and at all 
risks, to secure for themselves the treasure 
of the ill-fated Inca. 

The three following days seemed almost 
endless to the school-master, for he longed 
with a morbid anxiety for a sight of the 
wealth which Matteo had promised to show 
him. At last, toward the evening of the 
third day, he provided himself and his son 
with a pair of small pistols, which they could 
easily conceal in their pockets, and with 
sharp daggers, which they stuck in their 
girdles. Thus armed, the two awaited with 
impatience the arrival of Matteo. 

“Would it not be well to invite Anger 
and his son to accompany us ? It would be 
safer,” inquired Franz, as the appointed hour 
drew near. 

“ No ! ” roughly returned the school-mas- 
ter. “ They need not know anything about 
the treasure ; why should they ? We shall 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 85 

deal with the old Indian alone, and then the 
whole treasure will be our own ; we cannot 
afford to share it.” 

“ You are right, father,” answered Franz; 
“ it was a hasty thought of mine. No ! no ! 
the undivided treasure must be ours — all! 
all ! ” 

The greedy wretch nodded, without fur- 
ther notice of the remark, and watched 
through the open window into the quiet 
night. After listening a long time in vain, 
he at last heard footsteps approaching, and 
soon after he perceived by the dim starlight 
the dark outline of a tall, manly figure. 

“ Matteo ! ” said he, in a smothered voice, 
“ you have kept us waiting a long time.” 

“ No longer than I promised,” answered 
the Indian. “ The rising of yonder star 
over the mountains marks the tenth hour. 
Are you ready, senor ? ” 

8 


86 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

“We are, Matteo. You will not object to 
my son going with us.” 

“It is contrary to the agreement,” an- 
swered the Indian, after some hesitation. 
“But, he can go along; only he must be 
blindfolded like yourself, senor! We will 
start at once, if you please.” 

Rejoiced at the consent of the Indian, they 
both left the house and went into the open 
air. But they were no little astonished when, 
suddenly, instead of Matteo alone, as though 
they had sprung up from the earth, five other 
powerful Indians approached and surrounded 
them. 

“ Outwitted ! ” muttered Wagner, with dif- 
ficulty suppressing his anger. “ You prom- 
ised to come alone, Matteo !” 

“ I promised to show you alone the treas- 
ure of the Inca” answered the Indian, coolly; 
“and I have permitted your son, Senor 
Francisco, to go with you. Where is the 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 8 / 

treason ? If you do not wish to go, you 
need not — we do not force you.” 

“ No, no, good Matteo, I have been too 
hasty,” cried the school-master, quickly. 
“Let us be off ; we are ready.” 

“ But you must first be blindfolded,” said 
the Indian; “ and woe to you if you venture 
to take off the bands, or even to touch them 
before you are bidden to do so. Certain 
death will be your fate. Let us prepare.” 

“Weapons!” was the quick exclamation 
of one of the Indians. 

“ I thought as much,” said Matteo, with a 
grim smile of scorn and derision. “Take 
them away.” 

On the instant they were deprived of their 
weapons, and the school-master saw, with 
secret gnashing of teeth, that his plan was 
entirely frustrated. He now discovered that 
it was not so easy to deceive the watchful 
Matteo, and he began to be almost afraid, as 


88 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

he saw himself so entirely helpless in the 
power of the Indians. He felt disposed to 
give up the enterprise, and, instead of seeing 
the treasure of the Inca , return to the house ; 
but the demon avarice once more overcame 
all fear, and he again flattered himself with 
the hope that some fortunate occurrence 
might place him on the right track. He 
even urged them forward ; and, in the midst 
of the Indians, who carefully guided him and 
Franz by the arm, the journey to the table- 
land of Mito was commenced. They hur- 
ried along in deep silence. The school-mas- 
ter counted his steps, but he soon found that 
this would not help him. The path turned 
now to the right, then to the left, at one 
time with quite an ascent, and then again 
straight and level. By this time they must 
have reached the mountain plateau. They 
now proceeded more rapidly, and when, after 
a time, the school-master reckoned it could 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 89 

not be far from midnight, Matteo’s voice 
suddenly called — halt! The Indians stood 
still, and Matteo addressed his two white 
companions in these words : 

“Rest a little, senors. We are at the spot; 
but we must first make some preparations 
and light our torches before we can disclose 
to your eyes the treasure. Remain quiet, 
and forget not the warning you have re- 
ceived ; you are watched ! ” 

The closing sentence was spoken in a 
tone so earnest and threatening that it was 
impossible to mistake its meaning. Franz 
and his father therefore took good care not 
to touch the bands that covered their eyes. 
Both, however, listened sharply for the 
slightest noise that might help them after- 
ward to find the spot. The school-master 
carefully felt the ground upon which, tired 
from his long night-march, he had thrown 
himself; but he discovered with his hands 


8 * 


90 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

nothing but a few tufts of grass, with which 
the whole table-land was covered. It oc- 
curred to him to tear up a tuft here and 
there, but he deferred doing so until the 
moment whea he should again be called by 
Matteo. 

This did not happen for some length of 
time, and, indeed, an hour must have passed 
since the command to halt was given, before 
Matteo’s voice was again heard : 

“ Come, the entrance to the treasure-cave 
is open.” 

Wagner and his son arose, the former not 
forgetting his intention to pull up the near- 
est tufts of grass around him. But scarcely 
had he succeeded in uprooting two or three 
when he felt his hand seized, as an earnest 
voice whispered threateningly into his ear : 
“As you value your life, senor, do not at- 
tempt this again.” 

He was then seized by both arms and led 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 9I 

rapidly away. After he had gone perhaps a 
hundred steps, he suddenly breathed a dif- 
ferent atmosphere than that of the pure 
open air ; it was damp and moist, as though 
it had been long confined. At the same 
time an icy coldness seized upon him, and a 
shudder ran through his frame. He judged 
that he must be at the entrance of a cave, 
and his conjecture was soon confirmed. 

<( We are at the spot,” said Matteo. ^You 
may uncover your eyes, seiiors.” 

In a moment the school-master and Franz 
tore the bandages off, and saw that they 
were in a wide, high, spacious cavern, bril- 
liantly illuminated by means of numerous 
torches. The school-master uttered a cry of 
amazement, and his son, staggering, fell upon 
his knees. The Indian Matteo had not de- 
ceived them ; before their eyes lay immense 
heaps of the precious yellow metal, part in 
bars and coined gold, and part in golden 


92 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

vessels of various forms, which were thrown 
together like a mass of worthless stones. 

“Gold, gold, all gold!” faltered the school- 
master. “But, no; it ’s a deception — a delu- 
sion of the cave ! These heaps cannot be 
gold, for there would be enough wherewith 
to buy a kingdom ! ” 

“ Go nearer, senor, and satisfy yourself 
that it is all gold — pure gold,” said Matteo, 
with a smile which did not entirely conceal 
the scorn he felt in his heart for the greedy 
white man. “You can test these bars and 
coins and vessels to your heart’s content, 
only you dare not remove a moiety of 
them. The treasure of the Inca is sacred ! ” 

Wagner stooped, took up a few bars from 
the mass, weighed them in his hand, and 
could now doubt no longer that he really 
beheld the treasure of the Inca. There it 
lay, heavy and bright ; there was no longer 
any room for doubt. This mountain of 



































































(• 




• * 












. 


















































































•* 




























































































. • 



































4 













THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 93 

metal was veritable gold — pure, unalloyed 
gold, and, besides, numerous rare jewels 
glittered and sparkled, in the bright light 
of the torches, on the numberless vessels of 
singular form that lay around like common 
earthenware. 

“ Gold, gold, indeed ! ” he cried, in trem- 
ulous tones, as he stared, with wild looks, at 
the countless wealth that lay within reach 
before his eyes. Franz, his son, was equally 
agitated. 

“ Father, one single plunge into this sea 
of gold, and we should be happy for all 
time ! ” he at last exclaimed, in his native 
tongue, which the Indians could not under- 
stand. Think, father ; we must find a way 
to insure possession of this treasure. It is 
a shame that Matteo has overreached us by 
taking away our weapons. Unarmed, we 
are a match for him alone, and, with our 
arms, fully able to cope with the party. But 


94 THE treasure of THE INCA. 

now I could cry for rage; surrounded by 
so many, we are powerless.” 

“ Softly, softly, my son ! ” returned the 
school-master, in a low voice, still devouring 
the rich treasure with his covetous eyes. 
“Nothing can be done by force — at least, 
not at present, with the odds so fearfully 
against us ; but prudence and cunning will 
enable us at last to gain our end. We now 
know that the treasure is not a myth ; and 
if we cannot, by our own efforts, reach this 
cave a second time, and even if we must 
depend on Matteo, yet will he never have 
the upper hand of us again. Patience and 
caution ! Sooner or later will I have him 
in my power, and then — no torture shall be 
spared to force the secret from him. Cau- 
tion ! patience ! our turn will come ! ” 

With these words he once more bathed his 
hands in the golden pile, cast one more long- 
ing, lingering look at the sparkling treasure, 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 95 

the countless bars and heaps of massive 
gold, and then, with a sudden impulse, threw 
himself prostrate before Matteo. 

“ Matteo,” he implored, with an almost 
bursting heart, “permit me to take with me 
only a little of the treasure. Why should 
it lie dead and useless in the earth ? The 
thousandth part of this wealth would make 
me happy ! I beseech you, Matteo, give me 
that which you and your brothers hold in 
scorn.” 

“Do not waste words, seRor,” answered 
the Indian, with apparent coolness, while in- 
wardly he experienced a diabolical pleasure 
at the torment which he had prepared for 
the avaricious white man, by the sight of 
the treasure which was ever to remain be- 
yond his reach. Matteo hated the white 
men, who had oppressed his forefathers, 
and had practically reduced them to slavery; 
and the revenge which was in his power to 


9 6 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

take upon one of the hated race filled his 
heart with delight. 

“ Look at it as much as you wish/’ he 
continued; “revel in the sight of this gold, 
but renounce all hope that a single ounce of 
it shall come into your hands. I repeat it: 
the treasure of the last of the Incas is 
sacred, and dare never be profaned by the 
use of the white man, a descendant of those 
who have murdered our Inca.” 

“But I am not a descendant of those 
blood-thirsty Spaniards who oppressed your 
people,” asserted the school-master, impetu- 
ously. “ My fathers lived in Germany, far 
from Spain, and no one of them has ever 
done you or yours any wrong. But I, Mat- 
teo, I love the Indians, I love your people, 
I love you, and have often given you to- 
kens of my friendship and kindness. I have 
always shared with you everything I had. 
Only think, good Matteo ! Remember how 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 97 

many a glass of rum you have received at 
my hands, and do not longer hesitate to 
share with me the treasure which you can 
command. Hear me, my dear, good Mat- 
teo ! Only give me a small portion of this 
treasure, and I will be your friend for- 
ever, and will protect you from my white 
brothers, if they should wish to treat you 
with violence ! ” 

“ Matteo can protect himself, and needs 
not the protection of the white man,” 
answered the Indian, with dignity. “ But 
enough! you have seen, senor, and time 
flies. Before the break of day we must be 
upon the plantation. Forward, forward, 
then! On with the bandages once more. 
Time presses !” 

The wretched school -master tried once 
again, most earnestly, to move the flinty 
heart of the Indian, who turned his back 
upon him coldly, and at his nod the caps 
G 


9 


98 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

were again drawn over the heads of the 
white men, who were then led with gentle but 
irresistible power out of the cave. Wagner 
almost choked with rage and fury; and Franz, 
too, boiled over with rage, and felt inclined 
to use his naked fists against the entire party 
of Indians. But the utter hopelessness of 
an attempt to use force was so evident that 
he, like his father, followed his conductors 
without resistance. They were soon once 
more in the open air, and were obliged to 
rest awhile, as before, till the Indians had 
carefully concealed the .entrance to the cave, 
and then they returned to the plantation. 
As before, the white men were led blind- 
folded by the Indians, and as the first glim- 
mer of day appeared in the east, and the 
glittering stars of heaven began to pale, 
they all arrived safe at the house of the 
school-master. Matteo took off the band- 
ages from the eyes of the white men, wished 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 99 

them rest after the tiresome night -march, 
and, with his companions, hastily departed. 

“Yes, go!” angrily muttered the discom- 
fited school-master, after the retreating In- 
dians. “ Go ! My turn to laugh will come 
one day, and then woe to you if you do not 
reveal the secret.” 

Shaking his clenched hand after them, in 
a threatening manner, he went with Franz 
into the house, and threw himself down 
upon his bed. But neither father nor son 
found the peaceful slumber they sought. 
The trecisiire of the Inca still sparkled before 
their sordid eyes, and inflamed their blood. 
It affected their dreams, and groaning, they 
tossed upon their bed, while they stretched 
forth in vain their trembling hands after the 
glittering dross. The treasure of the Inca 
was the first thing they spoke about when 
they woke from their unrefreshing slumber. 
“ It must be mine ! ” reiterated the school- 


IOO THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

master, with an emphasis so fierce that it 
was easy to see how firmly resolved he was 
to stake life and limb on the acquisition of 
the treasure. 

If it was Matteo’s intention to excite to 
the utmost the avidity of the white men, he 
had certainly gained his point. 

The torment of an unsatisfied thirst for 
gold filled the hearts of the avaricious pair, 
maddened their blood, and excited their brains 
almost to frenzy. There was no longer any 
rest for them till their greed was fully satis- 
fied. This perhaps may have been the pur- 
pose of Matteo, in order to gratify his secret 
malice toward the hated race. 

We doubt not that even the youngest 
reader will feel a contempt for the wretched 
father and son who had offered up their very 
souls upon the altar of mammon ; and yet 
we wish the most careless reader of this 
little tale to understand that thousands are 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. IOI 


daily committing the selfsame sin, though 
not perhaps under similar circumstances and 
in precisely the same way. Every one who 
does not “seek first the kingdom of Heaven” 
has fallen into the error of the unhappy 
Wagner. “My kingdom is not of this world,” 
says the blessed Saviour. Unless the moral 
is personally applied, we have written in vain. 

9 * 




CHAPTER IV. 



A WICKED DEED. 

HEY found no rest, neither the 
father nor son. Their undi- 
vided attention was devoted to the 
discovery of the place where the 
treasure of the Inca lay hidden. 
As they had hunted before for 
•veins of silver, so now, with the same dili- 
gence, they roved over the whole table- 
land in search of the cave into which Matteo 
had led them. Not a rock was left unex- 
amined. They broke and splintered, with 
hammer and pick, the hard stone, or removed 
with a shovel the loose hillocks of earth, 
wherever they supposed they might conceal 


102 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. IO3 

the entrance to a cave. Had they but culti- 
vated their fields with half the assiduity with 
which they belabored the sterile rock, they 
would have received in return a moderate 
reward, and could have led a life free from 
care. But no such reasoning occurred to 
their besotted minds. To earn their daily 
bread in the sweat of their brow, and to 
accumulate wealth by degrees, seemed to 
them to be entirely too slow a mode. The 
demon of avarice had them in his clutches 
and ruled them with a rod of iron. They 
wished to be rich, rich at one bound, rich 
beyond conception, richer than any monarch 
on earth — this was their desire, their en- 
deavor, their sole aim ; nothing else, better 
and more reasonable, could satisfy them. The 
warnings and remonstrances of the good 
Father Anger, as well as of the well-mean- 
ing and honest steward, these slaves of mam- 
mon either threw to the winds or answered 


104 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

with rudeness. “ Mind your own business” 
was the stereotyped reply. Of the “ Treasure 
of the Inca ” they said not a word to their 
honest friend, through a silly fear that Father 
Anger and Joseph might also begin the 
search for it, and thus, all the more myste- 
rious became these misguided men in their 
efforts. 

Nevertheless, Father Anger and Joseph 
did everything in their power to prevent 
the entire impoverishment of the deluded 
Wagner, and to avert in the future the ruin 
which would certainly come if Franz and his 
father took no more interest in their fields 
than heretofore. After the first harvest, 
which had yielded a pretty fair return, nei- 
ther the school-master nor his son attended 
to sowing new seed nor to taking care of the 
young plants and trees. Anger and Joseph 
did it for them; but as they were now fully 
occupied with their own sugar and maize 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 105 

fields, their cotton and coffee plantations, 
they were compelled at last to neglect their 
neighbor’s interests ; and the natural conse- 
quence was that the crops were spoiled, and 
the fields gradually were overrun with an 
abundant growth of weeds. The Anger 
family saw the impending ruin, and the 
father determined to speak freely and earn- 
estly with the school-master. One morning 
he went to him, and found him, as was now 
his daily habit, on the point of starting with 
hammer and spade for the table-land. 

“ Put off for one day this profitless roam- 
ing about, good neighbor,” said he. “ Lay 
aside your tools, and do me the kindness to 
follow me around the plantation.” 

The school-master showed, indeed, little 
willingness to accept Father Anger’s 'invita- 
tion; but the good old man pressed the 
matter so firmly that his reluctant neighbor 
was obliged to submit. Father Anger first 


106 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

showed him his own plantation, on which 
everything was in the best of order and 
promised the most abundant yield, and then 
he led him to his own lands, and requested 
him to compare the two. 

“ How can they be compared ? ” replied 
the school-master, angrily. “ My land could 
not be expected to look like yours, for no 
one troubles himself about it. I was not 
born to be a farmer. If I only succeed in 
finding what I am seeking for — and I think 
I am now on the right track — any one who 
wishes may take the farm. But if not — if I 
should be deceived again, well, then the 
worst only will have been reached. Adieu, 
neighbor. I have lost too much time already 
talking about maize and coffee, and I must 
be off to the mountains.” 

“Not in this manner, good neighbor,” 
replied Father Anger, while at the same 
time he held him back gently. “ Listen to 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 107 

me this once patiently : cast one look at 
your past conduct here in a strange land, 
and then another into the future. What, in 
God’s name, will become of you, if you con- 
tinue to live as you have done ? Think of 
it: you were richer than I when we came 
here, and now you have not only already 
spent a large portion of your money, but 
you have, by your course, even thrown away 
the money you have paid for your property. 
For what good is the fruitful earth to you, if 
you do not take pains to make it productive ? 
Moreover, neighbor, remember that you owe 
me a considerable sum for many a bushel of 
maize and many a bag of coffee which I 
have supplied your household, as well as 
for planting your fields, which are now 
grown over with weeds. Do not be angry, 
my friend; I do not tell you this for the sake 
of annoying you, but only to show you to 
what end your policy must assuredly bring 


108 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

you at last. You will get more and more 
into debt; your money will slip through 
your hands, and inevitable poverty will be 
your lot. Therefore rouse yourself, neigh- 
bor ! There is yet time to make everything 
good. Throw away hammer and pick, seize 
the spade, cultivate your land, as a real 
planter should, and, by God’s blessing, pros- 
perity will be within your reach, to your 
own joy and ours. I implore you, comrade, 
to listen to my advice.” 

Father Anger had spoken so kindly, that 
the school-master could not give him a rough 
answer. He merely looked sullenly to the 
ground and shook his head. 

“ Y ou do not understand, neighbor Anger ! ” 
he said. “ Only let me attain my point — and 
attain it I must — then I can laugh at all your 
apprehensions. After all, even if everything 
were lost, the land can’t run away, and it 
will support me just as well then as yours 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. IO9 

supports you now. Not another word, 
neighbor ! Spare yourself any further trou- 
ble. I know what I ’m after, and it is some- 
thing of which you have not the slightest 
conception. Farewell ! I must be off.” 

He turned his back upon his neighbor, 
without deigning him another look, and hast- 
ened away. Father Anger looked after him 
as long as he could see him. 

“ Unhappy man,” he sighed ; “ you are on 
the road to certain destruction. Beware, lest 
it be too late to begin a new life. Yet how 
sad it is to have fallen captive to such a 
miserable passion for gain ! Is it not better 
to be satisfied with moderate expectations, 
than to be ever striving with restless impa- 
tience after the impossible ? O God, preserve 
in me a contented heart, that I may not fall 
into temptation ! ” 

Concerned at the stubbornness and obsti- 
nacy of his neighbor, Farmer Anger returned 
10 


IIO THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

to his family, and told them how unsuccess- 
ful his interview with Wagner had been. 

“ The unfortunate man is thoroughly 
blinded,” said he. “ God alone can open 
his eyes to his folly ; he is beyond the help 
of man. He runs after uncertain gain, and 
disdains the sure bread which he could 
easily earn by his own industry. Let him 
be an example to us, Joseph, and let us re- 
double our exertions. Who knows whether 
the time may not soon come when our poor 
neighbor may need our assistance ? There- 
fore we must bestir ourselves, that we may 
help when this time comes.” 

Joseph, the brave, hard-working youth, 
needed no such admonition. He labored, 
indeed, of his own free will, and from love to 
his dear parents, as much as he could, and 
God blessed his labor. The Anger family 
learned to understand the land better and 
better, and its peculiarities. Their secohd 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. Ill 


harvest was even greater than the first, which 
had been good. The herds too increased, 
owing to the watchful care of the experienced 
farmer. More and more Indians were em- 
ployed, in order to keep the constantly en- 
larging plantation in order. 

It was good policy to employ the Indians, 
who worked for low wages ; and, as he always 
treated them kindly and pleasantly, and 
never required anything unreasonable from 
them, they became much attached to him and 
to his amiable son Joseph ; and were but 
seldom guilty of any neglect. Matteo espe- 
cially, who hitherto had no respect or love 
for the white men, felt a certain kindliness 
for the diligent, modest youth, who assisted 
at everything, and shrank from no work, 
however hard and disagreeable. He gave 
him much excellent advice, and Jos£ — for 
thus Joseph was called by the Indians — 
took good care to profit by it. Old Matteo 


1 12 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

understood perfectly the peculiarities of the 
country and the climate, and knew the right 
moment when the sugar-cane and the maize 
should be planted or cut, the cotton picked, 
or the valuable grains be gathered from 
the coffee-tree. He also taught Jose how 
to lay snares and set traps to catch the nu- 
merous wild animals that were good for 
food, and showed him the best fishing-places 
in the brook, and the ponds, and small lakes 
not far from the village. 

Joseph was astonished at these proofs of 
affection, and freely expressed his astonish- 
ment to Matteo, who readily replied : 

“ How else could it be? You, Don Jose, 
and your father are not proud and gold- 
greedy, like most of the white men ; and 
that pleases me. My brothers upon your 
hacienda are better treated than most of 
those upon other plantations, and you do 
not cheat them out of their wages, like 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 1 1 3 

other hacienderos; you yourself are dili- 
gent, work hard, and do not leave all the 
hard work to be done by the poor Indians. 
If there were many like you, it would be 
much better, and very different in this beau- 
tiful lapd. Only continue as you have begun, 
Don Jose, and Matteo will always be your 
friend, notwithstanding he is, as ever, an 
enemy of the white oppressors.” 

Joseph contented himself with this expla- 
nation, and did not neglect to follow the old 
Indian’s advice. The two became by de- 
grees really good friends, and chatted to- 
gether sometimes by the hour. Joseph told 
the Indian about his home, far beyond the 
great ocean ; and Matteo, on the other hand, 
informed him of the ancient greatness and 
power of his people, who, through the op- 
pression and the continual persecution of 
the white men, had sunk, in the course of 
centuries, so low. But, strangely enough, he 
* H 


10 


114 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

never spoke to Jose about the treasure of the 
Inca , although he had shown it with such 
readiness to the school-master. 

Several years passed thus, in constant, as- 
siduous industry on the part of the Anger 
family, while School-master Wagner and his 
son Franz, neglecting everything else, still 
sought with dogged perseverance for the 
treasure of the Inca. 

The result can easily be premised. 

Father Anger gradually accumulated a 
considerable property, being able to send 
the surplus of his harvest to Lima to be 
sold : and it happened with the school-mas- 
ter as his prudent neighbor had long pre- 
dicted. His money had gradually slipped 
through his fingers, and his fields were in 
such a sad condition that they scarcely sup- 
plied his daily wants. Father Anger calcu- 
lated that after some five or six years of 
uninterrupted labor, he could think seriously 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 1 1 5 

of returning to his still beloved home, while 
the school-master had long since renounced 
any such thought as for ever hopeless. He 
had spent the money he had brought with 
him from Europe, and had finally become 
almost a vagabond, ever and anon casting 
sinister looks upon Matteo, who, by a single 
word, or even look, could help him out of 
his trouble. 

One evening, Wagner had a lengthy con- 
versation with his son, and far into the night 
the light from his room glimmered into the 
darkness. From this time, father and son 
seemed to have undergone an entire change; 
at least, from this time forward, they discon- 
tinued their useless excursions, and stayed 
more at home. Anger rejoiced at this, and 
built upon it hopes, which, alas ! were never 
to be realized. For, instead of employing 
their energies thenceforth in the cultivation 
of their land, as Anger had expected they 


II 6 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

surely would, they only lounged idly around, 
and seemed to take special pleasure in re- 
maining in the neighborhood of the huts of 
the Indians, where they chatted with the 
women and children. Rarely did either of 
them take spade or shovel in hand, and then 
only to throw them down again with evident 
disgust. 

This was altogether incomprehensible to 
the honest Anger, who had not the least 
idea what plans the two were pursuing. 

The school-master, tired of his fruitless 
searches, had hit upon an expedient by which 
he hoped, notwithstanding the secrecy of 
Matteo and of the other Indians, to discover 
the carefully kept secret. What he could 
not learn from the old men, perhaps he 
could draw from the less cautious young 
people, the ingenuous children, or, perhaps, 
from the women. He had often observed 
that Matteo, or some other Indian, at times. 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. I 1 7 

quite secretly, in the night, left his hut to 
return before the break of day, with large 
bundles, or well-filled sacks. He had also 
noticed that after every such excursion more 
hilarity than usual reigned in the huts of the 
Indians, and he concluded, not without rea- 
son, that the nightly trips must be the means 
of supplying the poor Indians with silver 
ore from hidden mines, or, perhaps, with 
gold from the treasure-cave of the Inca. 
He resolved, in company with his son, to 
watch the Indians, to follow them on one 
of these nocturnal expeditions, and, on a 
fitting occasion, to seize Matteo, and then, 
when in their power, alone and helpless, 
compel him, by threats or torture, to open 
at last his reserved lips, and disclose the 
secret of the treasure. 

This was the real reason of the frequent 
visits to the huts of the Indians; and though 
they did not succeed in enticing the women 


I 1 8 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

and children to betray their husbands and 
fathers, yet they did not intermit their vigil- 
ance, but watched incessantly, by day and 
by night, the movements at the huts. 

One eventful night, the moon stood in the 
cloudless sky and shone brightly. Franz was 
watching, and lay near Matteo’s hut, con- 
cealed in the dark shadow of a dense bush. 
Suddenly he heard a slight noise ; he gazed 
intently, and saw Matteo come forth from 
his door into the open air. The old Indian 
looked about him cautiously, nodded his 
head in a satisfied manner, as he saw nothing 
suspicious, let his eye rest a while upon the 
house of the school-master, muttered to him- 
self a few unintelligible words, and then, 
closing his door behind him, started off 
on the road to the table-land. Franz re- 
mained motionless, and followed the Indian 
only with his eyes. He observed that he 
carried a strong, pointed iron bar on his 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. II9 

shoulder, and had with him a number of 
empty sacks. He waited, however, only till 
Matteo had reached one of the numerous 
paths that led to the different points of the 
plateau, and as soon as he had made sure of 
this, he crept his way quickly and softly 
under the bushes to his father’s house, and 
glided noiselessly in. 

“ Father ! ” he cried, hastily, as he shook 
him by the shoulder. “ Father, awake ! 
Matteo has just gone up into the plateau 
with crowbar and sacks.” 

With a single bound the school-master 
was on his feet. 

“ Was he alone ? ” 

“Altogether alone, father. I saw him take 
the Guanaco road.” 

“Good, good!” cried the school-master, 
triumphantly. “ The Guanaco path leads to 
the most distant wilderness of the Montana, 
where there are no huts, and not a single 


120 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

mountain herdsman who could go to his 
help. Up, my son ! We will follow him 
like a pair of trained bloodhounds, and it 
will not be long till he feels our teeth in 
his neck. Ha ! Matteo ; this time it is we 
who have overreached you!” 

As he uttered these words, he seized knife 
and pistols, which latter always hung loaded 
on the wall, and Franz followed his exam- 
ple, and provided himself with weapons. 
Both then left the house, loosened a dog 
that lay chained in the yard, led him with 
them by his chain, and then hastened in the 
direction which Matteo had taken. 

As soon as they struck the ascending path 
the school-master brought the dog upon the 
track of the Indian. The dog took to it at 
once, having for some time been trained to 
it, and, tugging at his chain, pressed forward 
with rapidity. Franz and the school-master 
followed as fast as the steep path permitted, 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 121 


and, after a fatiguing march, they reached 
the plateau, over which the moon shed its 
pale light. Here they stood for a few mo- 
ments to take breath, and let their eyes 
wander searchingly over the broad plain. 
The school-master first noticed at some dis- 
tance a dark figure that glided over the table- 
land like a shadow 

“ Look there,” he said to his son; “ that is 
he ; we must follow him cautiously, so that 
if he looks back, he may not discover us. 
Hush, Carlo; do not make any noise, my 
good dog ! We must succeed, Franz, in 
seizing the Indian at the entrance of his 
silver-mine, or of the cave, and by throwing 
him down. He cannot escape us if we are 
not too hasty, and if we are careful. On! 
Franz, and stoop as much as you can ! ” 

A low call urged the dog forward once 
more ; the sagacious animal, his nose sunk 
to the ground, kept straight on Matteo’s 


122 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

tracks, and the school-master was now sure 
that the chase would be successful. For this 
reason he scarcely looked after the Indian, 
but hastened, stooping, behind the dog, and 
only occasionally raised himself up cau- 
tiously, to assure himself that Matteo’s form 
was still visible. 

Suddenly the Indian disappeared. 

“ He has reached his hiding-place, and 
has slipped in,” said the school-master, trem- 
bling with avarice and joy over his success- 
ful stratagem. “ Forward, quickly ! Caution 
is no longer necessary, for he cannot see us. 
Brisk, Carlo, brisk ! We must surprise him 
as the panther does the grazing antelope !” 

Both rose from their stooping posture, and, 
without any further precaution, hastened 
upon the track of the Indian. They had 
gone perhaps five hundred steps, when the 
dog suddenly stood stock-still, and snuffed 
about a mass of rock, uttering low growls 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. I23 

the while. Giving no heed to the repeated 
orders to go on, he turned round and looked 
at his master, with sparkling eyes. 

“Aha! I understand you ! ” said the school- 
master. “ We are at the end of the trail, and 
near this spot the Indian must have disap- 
peared, although we can perceive no trace 
of the spot where he has concealed himself.” 

He shook the rock with all his strength 
without moving it from the spot. In vain 
he searched, with the assistance of his son 
Franz, under and through the rocks by 
which they were surrounded. No opening, 
no gorge could be seen by which Matteo 
could have found an entrance into the earth. 
He seemed to have disappeared without 
leaving a trace, as though the earth had 
opened to devour him, and had afterward 
closed over him. 

“ The cunning knaves have taken their 
precautions well,” he whispered to his son. 


124 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

“ I know we have been in this place often 
before, and we never had the slightest sus- 
picion that any treasure was hidden here. 
And yet it must be so. Here Matteo has 
disappeared ; here he must come out again. 
We must watch and wait. I am firmly con- 
vinced that a little patience will be richly 
rewarded. You go twenty steps away to the 
side of that pile of rocks, Franz! I will go 
to the other side ; and we will both let nei- 
ther it nor its surroundings leave our sight 
for an instant. As soon as the Indian ap- 
pears we will fall upon him from both sides 
at once, throw him to the ground, and bind 
him with these cords, which I have provided 
for the purpose. Hearken, Franz ! As soon 
as I cry, ‘ On him!' throw yourself upon him.” 

“ Do not fear, father, that I will not do it. 
I hate the old villain, who has been leading 
us about by the nose, and mocking us. He 
shall feel the weight of my fist ! ” 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 125 

The pair now took their places, crouched, 
leady to spring upon their prey, and looked 
steadily at the rock. Both hearts, filled with 
maddening avarice, beat high with expecta- 
tion ; both resolved to go to any extremity, 
if the Indian on his appearance should resist. 
Franz carefully examined his pistols, put 
fresh priming in the pans, and loosened his 
dagger in its sheath. Thus had the unre- 
strained thirst for gold already led him and 
his father coolly to plan the commission of 
the dreadful crime of murder, if necessary, 
to enable them to gratify their wicked de- 
sires. 

Meantime all was quiet on the broad, 
moonlit plain ; not a sound could be heard 
but the breathing of the lurking white men ; 
not a breath of air stirred; the whole region, 
far and near, lay still and lifeless, as though 
it had just come from the hand of the Cre- 


ator. 


126 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

More than an hour had passed since 
Franz and his father had reached this spot, 
and yet there was no indication that Matteo 
was near. They had already become appre- 
hensive that he might have escaped by some 
subterranean outlet, when suddenly the dog 
gave signs of restlessness and increased 
watchfulness, and glared with glistening 
eyes at the rock. At the same moment 
the school -master heard a slight noise, 
that seemed to come from beneath the 
earth, and now he and his son saw how the 
heavy rock, which, with all their strength, 
they could not move, was lifted noiselessly, 
and pushed aside with ease, exposing the 
opening beneath. From this dark opening 
emerged, first, the head of the Indian Mat- 
teo, then his broad shoulders, and then his 
muscular arms, which raised a heavy sack 
over the edge of the aperture. Again, the 
form of the Indian disappeared in the dark 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. \2J 

cave, but only to reappear again immedi- 
ately, with a crowbar, which he threw be- 
side the sack. Having accomplished this, 
he swung himself out quickly, and without 
any noise, and, imagining no danger, bent 
himself down upon the rock, apparently 
with the view of closing the opening with 
it. This, however, was just what the school- 
master wished at any cost to prevent. 

“ On him ! ” he shouted wildly to his son, 
and the same instant Matteo felt that he was 
attacked on both sides, seized by four pow- 
erful hands, and hurled with irresistible force 
to the ground. 

A cry of terror and surprise escaped his 
lips ; but he recovered himself in a moment, 
and flung his assailants from him with lion- 
like strength. To spring up from the ground, 
throw himself on the rock, and, by some 
mechanical means, reclose the opening, to 
seize his crowbar, and hold it threateningly 


128 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

toward his assailants, was the work of a few 
seconds. He already had lifted his fearful 
weapon against the school-master to strike 
him with it, and a moment later perhaps it 
would have been all over with the wretched 
Wagner, when, on the instant, a pistol-shot 
was heard immediately behind the poor In- 
dian. The strong man staggered, the heavy 
iron bar fell from his hand, and Matteo, 
with a hollow groan, dropped heavily upon 
the earth. 

“ O God ! you have killed him, Franz ! ” 
exclaimed the horror-stricken school-master. 

• “ Yes, to save you, father,” answered the 
boy, coolly, as he threw his pistol aside, and 
bent over his victim to see whether he still 
breathed. “ He is dead — quite dead, it 
seems ! ” he continued. “ All the better for 
us ; for if he had recognized us, we would 
never for a moment have been sure of our 
lives. You know, father, what he himself 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. I2g 

has told us about the terrible revenge the 
Indians would take if they should be sur- 
prised by a white man at the entrance to 
one of their caves. Matteo fell in fight — so 
we need not reproach ourselves.” 

The sight of the body at his feet seemed, 
however, to have shaken the heart of the 
school-master, hardened as it was by cov- 
etousness. 

“ My God ! we have committed a great 
wrong ! ” he faltered. “ This was no honor- 
able fight IT IS MURDER ! ” 

“ Not murder, father ! ” answered Franz, 
attempting to reassure the horrified Wagner. 
“ He would have killed you, if I had not 
shot him down ! ” 

“ But we attacked him first, and thus the 
crime of murder rests upon us ! ” returned 
the father, with a groan of remorse. “Oh! 
had we but curbed our desires, we had not 
I 


130 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

gone so far. I wished not his death, but 
his treasure ! ” 

“ Never mind, father; what is done is 
done ! ” answered Franz. “ His treasure, or 
part of it at least, we have, and he has 
brought his death upon himself. Why did 
he not surrender himself when he saw that 
we were two against one? Besides, he is 
only a miserable Indian; who will ask about 
him ? We must, however, be careful to 
conceal the body.” 

“ But where ? If the Indians should find 
him ! Suppose they should learn that we 
had killed him?” 

“ They shall not learn it, father ! Half a 
mile from here there is a deep ravine that is 
seldom or never trodden by man. We will 
carry the body thither and throw it in. If, 
by some accident, he is found there, who 
dare assert that we shot him? No one 
will suspect us. Quick, father! Once in 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 1 3 1 

the ravine, he will have disappeared for- 
ever.” 

Necessity compelled them to adopt this 
plan of Franz’s, although with secret hor- 
ror; they both laid hold and carried the life- 
less body of Matteo over the plain to the 
ravine, at the bottom of which roared a 
mountain brook. 

“ Down with him ! ” whispered the school- 
master in a hoarse voice. 

One swing, and the body flew over the 
edge of the steep precipice. A hollow sound 
was heard from the chasm — a breaking and 
a crashing of branches — a splash — then all 
was still — still as death. The twain listened 
with suspended breath. Their faces in the 
pale light of the moon seemed deathly 
pale. 

“ Let us return,” said the school-master, at 
last, to his son. “ Our work here is finished, 
but we have much more to do before the night 


132 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

is over. We must hide Matteo’s sack and 
crowbar.” 

Franz nodded, and they both turned their 
backs upon the ravine to return to the rock. 
In silence, each lost in his own thoughts, 
they walked side by side. They found every- 
thing at the entrance to the cave as they had 
left it. 

“Shall we try now to roll aside the stone 
and go into the cave?” asked Franz. 

“ No,” replied the father. “ To-night it is 
too late. Before daybreak we must be back 
in our house, so that no one may notice our 
absence. Take up the sack, Franz. Let the 
crowbar lie. We may want it, maybe, when 
we return.” 

“ But first let us see what is in the sack,” 
said Franz. “ It would be terrible if we do 
not find in it what we expect.” 

With trembling hands he loosened the 
cord which closed the mouth of the sack, 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 1 33 

thrust in his hand, and brought out a few 
pieces of ore. A cry of joy escaped him. 

“ So our coming here has not been in 
vain,” said he. “ See, father, it is almost 
pure silver ! ” 

The school-master’s eyes sparkled with 
gratified avarice, as he looked at the pieces 
of ore as they glittered in the moonlight. 
“ Empty the sack, Franz.” 

The son obeyed, and a heap of bright 
metal lay upon the ground before them. 
The sack was not large, but the value of its 
contents considerable. 

“ Hurrah ! Success at last ! ” cried the 
school-master. “ This small sackful is worth 
several hundred dollars, and how much must 
lie hidden yet under the stone ! We are 
rich, Franz. Yes, rich ; and we need only 
to dig out the precious ore, and then return 
to our old home in Europe. Prudence and 
caution are needed, however, that no one 


12 


134 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

discover our secret. Come, my son ; to- 
morrow we will revisit the spot, and in the 
bright sunlight it will not be difficult for us 
to remove the covering.” 

They then refilled the sack, taking good 
care, in doing so, that not the smallest par- 
ticle remained on the ground that could 
betray them. Franz carried the sack on his 
broad shoulders, the school-master took his 
dog by the chain, and with hasty steps they 
retraced the path to their home, which was 
reached an hour before the break of day. 
Everything was quiet, and all still slumbered 
in the huts of the Indians. No human eye 
observed them. But the thousand star-eyes 
still looked down from heaven clear and 
bright upon them — not only upon the crimi- 
nals as they hastened away, but also upon a 
form which lay bloody and motionless by 
the side of the brook at the bottom of the 


ravine. 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. I35 

I 

Thus we see that the sin of covetousness 
had led these wretched men to the commis- 
sion of the awful crime of murder, and that, 
too, under aggravated circumstances. We 
see, too, that the school-master’s training of 
his son had rendered the youth more callous 
than his greedy father. Reader, beware of 
the sin of covetousness, and remember that 
“ the love of money is the root of all evil.” 
May the good God, for the sake of his dear 
Son, preserve us from this and all other sins. 



CHAPTER V. 


THE SILVER -MINE, 

HEN the sun, after the event- 
ful night, had again lighted 
up the world with its brilliant 
light, the school -master and 
his son left the house, with 
apparent unconcern, and saun- 
tered over to Anger’s plantation, where he 
and his son and some Indians were busy 
with their coffee-trees. They had muskets 
over their shoulders, and carried, in addition, 
their usual equipments, hammer and pick- 
axe, as though about to try their luck at 
hunting and at the same time to seek for 
ore. Father Anger, on their approach, 
shook his head. 



36 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 1 37 

“Have you not yet resigned your fool- 
ish hopes, neighbor ? ” he said. “ I should 
think you would have given up by this time, 
after having searched in vain, through rock 
and hollow, these many long months, for 
silver. When, when will you become sen- 
sible, and pursue the course by which any 
one can attain prosperity and inward peace. 
Do look around you ; open your eyes. 
Have you not us before you, as examples 
of sober diligence and perseverance, which 
slowly but surely accomplish their aim ? 
Neighbor, I pray you, lay aside pick and 
musket, take your spade, and I, old Anger, 
from whose mouth no untruth has ever 
passed, I promise you, that in a short time 
your plantation shall be in the same condi- 
tion as mine, for we will all of us lend you 
a helping hand. Reflect, neighbor ! Think 
of the old home, and of the evening of 
your life, which you may spend there in 
12 * 


I38 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

peace, if only you are not afraid of a little 
work, and if you are patient : think, too, 
that till then we may live happy and con- 
tented here.” 

With these words he extended his hand 
kindly, but the school -master rejected it 
with disdain. 

“ Your way is too slow for me,” he said, 
scornfully. “ I shall one day reach my aim 
after my own fashion, and we will then see 
who will come sooner, and worth the most, 
into the old home — you or I! Nor did I 
come to you to hear a sermon, but solely to 
tell you that I and my son will be absent a 
couple of days. We are going to make a 
long excursion this time. Do not wonder 
if you do not see us for a while. Till then, 
adieu ! ” 

With this he turned away and walked off, 
accompanied by Franz. 

“ He is not going on an honest errand!” 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. I39 

sighed Father Anger, and made no further 
attempt to detain his neighbor, for he had 
learned to understand his obstinacy. 

The two adventurers ascended the plateau 
at a brisk pace, whither they had followed 
the Indian the night before, and easily found 
the rock that covered the entrance to the 
cave that contained the coveted treasure. 
First of all, it was necessary to shove aside 
the rock, but with all their efforts they could 
not succeed in moving it an inch from the 
spot. 

“ There must be some cunningly concealed 
mechanism,” said the school-master, as he 
searched diligently for the secret spring, but 
in vain. After repeated and fruitless attempts, 
he at last expressed his determination to em- 
ploy measures to force an entrance into the 
mine. 

“ We must make a hole under the stone, 
Franz, and blow it up with powder,” said he. 


140 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

“ I am prepared for it, and have brought 
with me, in my hunting-bag, a goodly sup- 
ply of powder.” 

No sooner said than done. Both went to 
work forthwith, and soon had made a hole 
with their picks underneath the rock, suit- 
able for their purpose ; this they filled with 
powder, closed tight the opening, with only a 
very small aperture left for the fuse, which 
they lighted, and then hastened from the 
dangerous spot to watch, at a safe distance, 
the result of the blast. The glowing fuse 
soon reached the powder ; a crash, like the 
thunder of artillery, shook the air, and a 
cloud of smoke and dust enveloped the 
spot. 

Thither the treasure - diggers now hast- 
ened, and their shout of joy announced the 
success of the explosion. The rock was 
rolled to one side, and the entrance to a dark 
cave lay open before the eyes of the avari- 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 141 

cious schoolmaster and son. Rejoicing they 
fell into each other’s arms. 

"If only no one has heard the noise 
of the blast!” said Franz, with no little 
anxiety. 

“You need not be afraid!” returned the 
father. “They know, down at the planta- 
tion, that we are hunting game, and if they 
have really heard anything, they’ll think it 
but a shot from our muskets. Down, quickly, 
Franz ! We must see at last the extent of 
our good fortune.” 

“ But it is dark as pitch down there, father! ” 
remonstrated Franz. 

“ You are quite right, my son ; I expected 
it would be so, and therefore I have brought 
with me these two miner’s lamps, and a bot- 
tle of oil. You see, I have forgotten no- 
thing.” 

The lamps were lighted and lowered down 
into the darkness, and lo ! a roughly made 


142 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

wooden ladder. F ranz stepped upon it first and 
descended ; his father followed immediately. 
After they had proceeded some twenty feet 
they came to a landing-place, and here found 
various mining implements, such as picks 
and sledge-hammers, together with some 
lamps filled with oil. 

“ Look, Matteo was well provided,” said 
the school-master. “ Everything is here that 
is necessary for detaching the ore. But as 
we have our own picks, these are unneces- 
sary. Move on, Franz.” 

They now discovered a second ladder, 
and then a third, and by these they reached 
a roughly hewn passage, or gallery, through 
which they gradually descended into the 
mine. 

“This js the path that must lead us to the 
silver-mine,” said the school-master, press- 
ing forward hastily, Franz by his side; for 
the gallery was wide enough for two to walk 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. I43 

abreast. The air here was fresh and pure, 
which showed that the gallery was often 
used, or that the fresh air was admitted from 
without by some secret galleries. 

After advancing a short distance the pass- 
age became higher and wider, and soon the 
treasure-seekers reached a spacious cavern, 
whose walls in several places reflected glit- 
tering and sparkling the light of their lamps. 
They stood stock-still, as though struck with 
blindness. Then both uttered a cry of de- 
light, hastened with their lamps to a spot 
where the light was reflected with most 
splendor, and stopped before one of the rich- 
est ore-veins, which, bursting through the 
sterile rock, consisted of almost pure, solid 
silver. 

“Found!” cried the school-master, beside 
himself with delight. “ These veins are in- 
exhaustible ! We are rich as kings, Franz ! 
A few strong blows with the picks, and the 


144 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

silver flies about us in huge pieces. To 
work, Franz ! Let us break off the ore, 
that we may take our fortune with us : 
hurrah ! ” 

While he was yet speaking, he lifted his 
pick, and struck vigorously upon the hard 
rock beside the silver vein, in order to lay 
bare the latter, and enable him all the easier 
to break it off Franz placed his lamp upon 
the ground, and joined his efforts with those 
of his father. The blows were so constant 
and so well applied, that the pieces flew in 
every direction ; and after a half-hour’s work, 
they stood before a mass of rich silver ore, 
the sight of which made their hearts fairly 
laugh. 

“ This is ours, all ours, Franz ! ” he ex- 
claimed, while with trembling hands he 
clutched the treasure. “And not only this, 
but all that glitters from these walls, all the 
untold wealth in these inexhaustible veins. 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. I45 

It is all ours ; All, all, all ! We will share 
with no one.” 

The man was almost frantic, so much had 
the discovered treasure intoxicated him. He 
forgot he had acquired it by a terrible crime. 
As little remorse possessed the mind of 
Franz, who stood bent over the treasure, his 
eyes sparkling with greediness and with the 
meanest avarice, as he weighed the loose 
pieces of silver ore in his hands. 

“ I would not exchange this cave for a 
German duchy,” he exclaimed. “ Yes, father,' 
we are rich, immensely rich ; and all the 
luxuries of the world may be ours. Who 
will dare to laugh at us now , or offer us good 
advice ? No one ; least of all, the miserable 
Anger, who earns his bread by the sweat of 
his brow — who labors to support his pitiful 
life, and to save a few thalers year by year.” 

The elder Wagner nodded his head scorn- 
fully. “The poor old plodder!” said he. 
K 


13 


I46 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

“ But, my son,” he continued, as he turned 
around to cast a searching look through the 
length and breadth of the cave, “ we hardly 
yet know even the beginning of our riches. 
Let us examine the other veins ! ” 

They took up their lamps and lighted up 
the walls around. The veins of ore branched 
through the rock like a net of silver, and it 
seemed as though it would require very little 
exertion to break it off and gather a rich 
harvest. While they were still gazing in 
astonishment at the treasure, the sharp eye 
of the school-master descried in the corner 
of the cave what appeared to be a low en- 
trance to yet another gallery. 

“What is that?” he cried. “It seems to 
be a passage which leads still farther into 
the bowels of the earth. We must explore 
it, Franz ! I ’ll lead the way.” 

Carefully lighting their advance with the 
lamp, they entered the passage in a stoop- 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. I47 

ing posture, but were soon able to stand 
erect, as the passage gradually became 
higher as well as wider. They had only 
gone perhaps fifty feet, when they reached a 
second cavern, and — there — there at last — 
with a cry of the wildest delight, the school- 
master saw, in heaps upon heaps, the long- 
sought treasure of the Inca. Franz stood 
beside him, and stared, open-mouthed, upon 
the glittering mass of yellow, shining gold. 

“All ours!” he cried, after a time, in a 
voice stifled with emotion. “ The death of 
the Indian has paid richly ! How lucky that 
we followed him ! ” 

“ Yes, it was lucky, indeed,” replied the 
school-master. “ It ’s too much ! I can 
scarcely realize it.” 

“Be not too sure that the murder of Matteo 
will benefit you!" returned a hollow voice 
from the upper end of the cavern. “ Greedy, 
bloody-minded men, your thirst for gold is 


148 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

now quenched! You thought to drink full 
draughts of endless delight ! You shall 
empty to the dregs the cup of destruction ! 
You shall not leave this cave alive!” 

“ O God, it is the voice of Matteo ! ” 
groaned the now terrified school-master. 

“ Yes, it is the voice of Matteo ! ” repeated 
the Indian, in sneering tones — “of Matteo, 
whom you thought to be lying in the 
ravine, dead ; but your bullet did not strike 
home ; the thick-leaved branches of a tree 
broke the force of my fall, when you threw 
me into the abyss, and the fresh water of the 
rivulet restored me to consciousness, and, in 
part, to my strength. Where you were to 
be found could not be a matter of doubt. 
You have discovered the treasure of the 
Inca! Enjoy it while you may — as long as 
you have breath. The moment of retalia- 
tion has come — listen, how the doors of 
escape are closed ! ” A crashing and rum- 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. I49 

bling, as though the earth were falling in, 
echoed through the caverns and passages : 
in an instant it was still as death. 

“It is done!” cried Matteo. “Your fate 
is sealed. The passages to the cave are 
closed. Never again will your eyes behold 
the light of the sun ! ” 

“Mercy! For God’s sake, mercy, Mat- 
teo ! ” cried the school - master, in utter de- 
spair, while Franz, groaning and trembling, 
fell upon his knees. 

“Where was your mercy for Matteo^” 
answered the deep voice of the Indian. 
“You have what you wanted! Why did 
you not heed my warnings ? I always said 
to you: the treasure of the Inca is sacred! 
Woe to him who would profane it. Woe 
now to you ! ” 

With the last words of the Indian, a dark 
shadow disappeared from the upper entrance 
to the cave, and through a small opening, 


13 


150 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

scarcely a hand-breadth in width, a glimmer 
of daylight broke through the dismal dark- 
ness into the subterranean hall. 

“ Matteo ! good Matteo ! ” shrieked the 
school -master, “only spare our lives and 
keep all these treasures ! We will swear to 
you, never again to touch them ! ” 

No answer followed this despairing cry. 
With a panting groan, the wretched man 
sank upon the ground beside his son. 

There, within their grasp, lay the treasure, 
for which they had sought so eagerly and so 
steadily. But what did all this wealth, and 
the fruition of their avarice, benefit them now? 
The exit from the cave was closed, they 
were even buried alive in the bosom of the 
earth ; and not a glimmer of hope remained, 
for well they knew the implacable hatred 
that Matteo bore the avaricious white men: 
besides, would their late adventure with the 
Indian have a tendency to mollify his hatred? 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 1 5 1 

Complaints, lamentations, and cries of de- 
spair resounded through the cave, and now 
and then might be heard the sound of furi- 
ous blows, which were struck with pick and 
hammer against the subterranean walls of 
the cavern. 

There was one who lurked and listened 
without. The Indian Matteo lay upon the 
stony ground above, weak and helpless, un- 
able to make an effort even for his own pre- 
servation. He was scarcely able, at times, to 
raise his head, or bend it aside, in his at- 
tempts to catch the hollow sounds beneath. 
Not mercy, not compassion depicted itself 
on his gaunt and pain-worn features, upon 
which Death seemed already to have set his 
seal. A sneering smile occasionally dis- 
torted his ashen lips, as each renewed, pier- 
cing cry of despair resounded from the cave. 
The wound which Franz had inflicted with 
his pistol was but hastily dressed, and the 


152 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

appearance of it showed clearly that there 
was little hope for Matteo, whose wasted 
limbs were bruised and crushed. He had 
no longer strength to rise, and could crawl 
but a few steps from the spot. The last 
effort he seemed to have made had been a 
desperate attempt to gratify his revenge, as 
well as to protect the treasure of the Inca. 
He had gained his point, but in doing so 
had hastened his death. He knew this, yet 
made no effort to avert his apparently inevit- 
able fate. He remained lying, almost mo- 
tionless, over the grave of his victims, and 
counted neither the days nor the nights that 
passed over his head. A little longer, and 
the vultures and eagles will have fattened on 
his flesh, and strewn his bones over the des- 
olate plains of the plateau. 

“ Strange,” said Father Anger, a few days 
later, to his son Joseph; “our neighbors 
have disappeared some four or five days, and 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 1 5 3 

Matteo, too, whom I have not seen since 
then. I think they have gone on a hunt 
together; I begin to fear that some mis- 
fortune may have happened them.” 

“It is not impossible,” answered Joseph ; 
“ but what can we do ? We have not the 
least idea where to look for them.” 

“ I have thought of this, but I have con- 
sidered also the dog which they left behind,” 
answered Anger. “ Perhaps, if we let him 
loose, he may find their track. If we take 
along a few Indians and search the table- 
land, we shall at least have done our duty.” 

“ I am ready to start at once,” said Joseph. 
“ Nor will the Indians refuse to accompany 
us, since our expedition also concerns one 
of them. When will we set out ? ” 

“At once, without any further delay,” de- 
cided the father. “Arm yourself, my son ; 
meanwhile I will speak with our friends, the 
Indians.” 


154 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

An hour later, a small band of men, well 
armed, and furnished with provisions, were 
ready to start. Father Anger loosened the 
dog, but retained his hold upon the chain. 
The animal pressed forward impetuously, 
and led the men straight to the rock where 
Franz had shed the blood of the Indian. 
Suddenly the Indians uttered a cry of as- 
tonishment, as they descried Matteo’s ex- 
hausted and debilitated form lying upon 
the naked ground, not far from the secret 
entrance. 

“You, Matteo? And in such a condi- 
tion ! ” cried the compassionate Anger, as he 
hastened to the dying man. “What has 
happened to you, my friend ? What, bruises 
and wounds ! ” 

Joseph said but little. He knelt down 
beside the Indian, examined his wounds, 
and shook his head sadly. “It is indeed 
bad ! We must take him home, and see 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 1 5 5 

whether it be possible to save him,” he said 
at last. “ Take him in your arms, friends, 
and carry him down.” 

Matteo feebly resisted. 

“ Disturb me not!” he said. “ Matteo is 
past your help. Death trembles through 
his body, and he wishes to die here , here, 
HERE!” 

His voice, though low and weak, yet 
sounded so resolute and commanding that 
no one felt inclined to oppose his wish. Yet 
Joseph endeavored to bandage his numerous 
wounds, and in doing so discovered the gun- 
shot wound in his back. 

“ Matteo, who has done this ? ” he cried. 

“Don Francisco!” replied Matteo, with 
difficulty. “ He and his father are my mur- 
derers, but — by the bones of my fathers — 
I die not unavenged!” 

“ Where are they ? Speak, where are they, 
Matteo?” asked Anger, urgently. “What 


156 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

has happened? I fear something terrible! 
Oh, Matteo, are they dead ? ” 

“ Not yet,” was the Indian’s reply. “ Bet- 
ter for them that they were. The grave has 
closed over their heads, and will never again 
open for them.” 

Anger pressed him to tell something more 
definite, but the obdurate Indian refused to 
answer. On the other hand, he addressed 
his countrymen in the Indian language, 
which Anger and Joseph did not understand, 
and spoke for some time to them. The men 
listened most attentively to every word, and 
surprise, rage, fury, defiance, and at last wild 
triumph, were depicted in their features. 
When Matteo had ended, they uttered loud 
yells of joy, and danced around him with 
wild leaps. The wounded man smiled with 
satisfaction. Suddenly a shudder ran through 
his robust frame, he uttered a half-suppressed 
sigh, his eyeballs rolled in their sockets, and 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 1 57 

before any one could hasten to his relief, he 
stretched himself out, and was dead. The 
shouts ceased, and Anger and Joseph looked 
sadly on the corpse of the man who, however 
he may have been disposed toward the white 
men as such, had nevertheless been to them, 
even to the time of his death, a faithful and 
useful companion. 

“ He is dead ! ” said Anger. “ Peace to his 
ashes ! But where shall we find the others 
whom we came to seek ?” 

“You will never find them, senor!” said 
Juan, a relative of Matteo, with all earnestness. 
“ Go home, senor ! Ask not and seek not. 
The lips which alone could reveal the secret 
are closed forever. Matteo was a just man ; 
he has rewarded them as they deserved. 
Go! You see your white brothers are not 
here.” 

“ But they cannot be far from here,” an- 
swered Anger; “and I shall not go without 


14 


158 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

at least having made an effort to find 
them” 

“Look, then, senor!” answered Juan, 
coldly. “ We do not hinder you.” 

Anger and Joseph, with the dog, roved for 
hours over the table-land, while the Indians 
prepared to bear away Matteo’s remains. 
But not even with the help of the hound 
could they find the slightest trace of the 
missing pair who were buried deep down in 
the bosom of the earth. They returned 
home at last, at the approach of night, with- 
out having learned aught concerning the fate 
of their countrymen and neighbors. 

The Indians did not return from the pla- 
teau for two or three days. They observed 
a mysterious and inviolable silence about the 
occurrences of the last few days, although 
they doubtless were not ignorant of the fate 
of the wretched Wagner and his son. No 
persuasion of Joseph or of his father could 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 1 59 

induce them to disclose even the spot where 
the bodies of the dead men were. 

“ They are dead ! ” was the answer to 
every question. “Forget them, seiior, and 
rest satisfied that the fate which befell them 
they have well deserved, and have brought 
upon themselves. They are the victims of 
their wicked passions, and their dishonest, 
treacherous actions. Enough ! Our lips 
are sealed.” 

Nothing more could be learned from the 
Indians, and neither the school-master nor 
his son ever returned to the plantation, which, 
without a master, ran speedily to destruction, 
and became each day more choked with 
weeds and briers. 

The Anger family was sorely troubled at 
the disappearance of their old neighbors; 
for although no one could love or esteem 
them very highly, yet they were their coun- 
trymen, and had been friends — the only 


l60 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

ones with whom they could chat familiarly 
about old times. With their loss, the long- 
ing for home, which indeed never slumbered 
within them, awoke with renewed intensity 
in the hearts of the emigrants, and many a 
longing look was cast toward that part of 
the globe, where far, far beyond the sea, lay 
the dear fatherland, the land where their 
own language was spoken, where the oak- 
forests rustled, and where the dark firs nod- 
ded from the green hill-tops. 

“Oh, for home and fatherland!” each 
sighed in his heart, and every day the long- 
ing for the dear old home grew stronger 
and mightier in the hearts of parents and 
of son. 


CHAPTER VI. 



JUAN SANTOS. 

N a certain day, about a year 
after the disappearance of the 
unfortunate school-master and his 
son, Joseph, absorbed in thought, 
sat on a hill near his plantation, 
from the top of which he had an 
extended view. But he did not even glance 
to-day over the fruitful, blooming fields, but 
reckoned in his mind how long he and his 
parents would yet have to labor and save, 
to be able at last to start on their journey 
to the old home. The result of his calcula- 
tion was not encouraging, for he felt that 
long years would elapse before they could 
save enough to pay their passage to Ger- 
* L 161 


14 


162 the treasure of THE INCA. 

many, and to purchase there a small prop- 
erty. His face was sad and downcast. 

A gentle tap upon the shoulder awoke 
him from his revery, and looking up, he 
perceived the Indian Juan, who, since the 
death of Matteo, had supplied his place with 
Joseph. 

“You are disquieted, senor,” said Juan, 
pleasantly. “You have been troubled these 
many weeks: I see it well. Juan Santos is 
your friend: why do you not confide to him 
the sorrow that oppresses you ? ” 

“Because you could not help me, good 
Santos,” answered Joseph, with a sigh. 

“Quien sabe — who knows?” replied the 
Indian. “ Let me see your heart, Senor 
Josd.” 

Joseph, won to confidence by the hearti- 
ness with which Juan spoke, told him, with- 
out reserve, what it was that troubled him. 

“ My father grows older and older,” he 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 163 

said, at last; “my mother, too, is not so 
robust as in former years; and I fear that 
death may close their eyes, before their last 
and earnest wish can be realized — the wish 
of once more beholding the land of their 
birth, and of spending their old age in 
peace and quietness. A few thousand thalers 
would secure them a modest competence, 
in the dear old land beyond the sea; but 
with all our labor and saving, we have not 
yet been able to lay by half the amount, 
and who knows how long it may be before 
we can?” 

The Indian smiled. 

“Why do you complain, senor?” he asked. 
“ Do you forget that the value of this plan- 
tation has more than quadrupled, through 
the labor you have put upon it? If you 
wish to sell it, you certainly could get for it 
the amount you desire.” 

“Yes, if I could find a purchaser!” an- 


164 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

swered Joseph, with a sigh. “I have often 
thought of this, but I confess how foolish it 
was to have cherished any such hope. A 
wealthy man will not settle down in this re- 
mote region, and a poor one could not pay 
the money.” 

“Well, then, senor, I know of a pur- 
chaser,” said Juan. “ If it is really your 
wish to leave our land, I will pay you, 
within a week, the full value of the planta- 
tion, in bars of pure silver.” 

“ Impossible, good Santos ! impossible ! ” 
replied Joseph. “You are only mocking 

^ _ J) 

me. 

“ I shall show you that I am in earnest, 
senor,” returned the Indian. “ Have pa- 
tience, only for a few days.” 

With these words he departed, without 
making any further explanation, and was 
not seen upon the plantation for some days. 
Joseph knew not whether he should believe 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. l6$ 

or distrust the promise of the Indian. At 
all events, he said nothing to his parents 
about the conversation with Santos, so as 
not to arouse in them hopes that might not 
be realized, and meantime performed his 
duties as usual. 

Six days had passed, and Juan Santos had 
not yet returned. 

The next day, however, as the family had 
just gathered around the dinner -table, he 
suddenly appeared, with several companions, 
in Anger’s dwelling. 

“ Here I am, Sehor Jose,” said he, “and 
there,” pointing to numerous bars of silver, 
which his companions, at a sign from him, 
laid down before Joseph — “there is the pur- 
chase-money for your land, if you are still 
inclined to sell it. You can weigh the bars 
— they are heavy, and valuable enough to 
gratify your moderate wishes.” 

The parents stared in astonishment, first 


l66 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

at Joseph, then at Juan, and at the bars of 
silver, and could not at all comprehend the 
meaning of it, till Joseph had made the ne- 
cessary explanations. The parents listened 
with the greatest joy, and, shedding tears of 
delight, sank into each other’s arms. Their 
long secretly cherished wish was gratified at 
last : they should once again see their home, 
and spend the remainder of their days upon 
the blessed soil. 

“ But who is the purchaser that pays such 
a sum for our land?” Joseph at last asked 
his Indian friend. “ We must thank him, 
for he has done us a great favor by this 
purchase.” 

“ Thanks are unnecessary,” answered Juan. 
“ He only pays you full value for the proper- 
ty which you by your ceaseless perseverance 
have rendered one of the finest haciendas in 
Peru. Thank your own industry, then ; for 
these bars are the fruits of it. Take your 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 1 67 

silver, return to your home, and live con- 
tented and happy ! ” 

Joseph conjectured at first that the Indian 
himself, out of love to him, had purchased 
the plantation, but Juan steadily denied it, 
and the Anger family never learned any- 
thing more definite concerning the transac- 
tion than they had about the fate of their 
old neighbor Wagner. Juan Santos refused 
any explanation. 

“ Let it not trouble you, SeRor Jose, whence 
the silver comes,” said he. “ It is enough for 
you to know that it is the fruit of your own 
industry. Of your friends I will not speak ; 
they were the authors of their own dark fate, 
as you and your good father are the founders 
of your happiness. Each has reaped as he 
has sown ; and you surely know, if any one 
does, that quiet, steady industry advances 
any one farther, and makes him happier, 
than can greedy searching after gold and 


l68 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 

treasure. Had your friends been like you, 
seSor, they would be no less happy than 
you. The Great Spirit gives to each one at 
last what he deserves; for his justice is as 
great as his power ! ” 

A few weeks later, the Anger family left 
Peru and sailed for their home. They 
reached in safety the shores of Germany, 
which, with hearty thankfulness to God, they 
knelt upon and kissed. Father Anger pur- 
chased with his money a little farm quite 
near his former home, and was heartily wel- 
comed back by his old friends and acquaint- 
ances. 


Father Anger’s dearest wishes are now 
realized : he tills the soil of his fatherland, 
and knows that his son will some day be 
a free man upon the selfsame soil, from 
which no unmerciful landlord can drive him. 
More than this he had neither hoped nor 


THE TREASURE OF THE INCA. 169 


prayed for ; and the realization of his modest 
desires has rendered him and his family 
happy. Not one of them longs for the trea- 
sure of the Inca, for their 


^rcasitre is 




15 



















































✓ 








































* 






























































1855 . 


1870 . 


LUTHERAN PUBLICATION SOCIETY, 

No. 42 NORTH NINTH STREET, PHILADELPHIA. 

J. K. ShryocTc, Superintendent. 



E take pleasure in announcing to the 
Church and to the Trade in general, that 
we have commenced the publication of 


the 


as follows: 


“THE COTTAGE by THE LAKE.” 

Translated from the German of Martin Claudius, by 
Miss R. H. Schively. “When the need is sorest God’s 
help is nearest.” 

16mo, Cloth, a Beautiful Frontispiece, 160 pages, $0.75. 

« This volume will supply a want in our Sunday-school 
Libraries, to which the Religious Press has called attention 
— books of a more devotional and evangelical character. 
The Wilmer Family is character ized by all that makes the 

i 



2 


* Schoenberg Cotta Family * so univeiially attractive. * * * 
We can confidently recommend this book, translated with 
all elegance of diction, and with all the warmth and pathos 
of the German heart. * * * All classes will be instructed 
and elevated by this kind of literature. It has charms for 
the youthful and the mature, and will profit every one.” — 
Mrs. E. B. S. 


“IN THE MIDST OFTHE NORTH SEA.” 

From the German of Marie Roskowska, by 
J. F. Smith, Esq. 

16mo, Cloth, Two Engravings, $0.75. 

A story of life upon one of the lonely little islands (or 
Halligen) lying in the North Sea off the German coast. 
The loneliness and the dangers accompanying a residence 
upon these barren, marshy spots, are dramatically described, 
and the characteristics of the two families are painted most 
naturally. The incidents of “ Lost in the Fog,” “ The 
Shipwreck,” and “The Inundation,” are full of interest; 
and the earnest piety that pervades the narrative will recom- 
mend it to any Christian family or Sabbath School. The 
tale is full of excitement, and yet is anything but sensational. 

*o* 

“ANTON, THE FISHERMAN.” 

By Franz Hoffmann. Translated by Mrs. M. A. 

Manderson. 

16mo, Cloth. Three Fine Original Engravings, $0.85, 

“ A very interesting story of humble life, illustrating do- 
mestic happiness, and the prevalence of industry, manliness, 
and integrity — together with the providential deliverances 
that sometimes occur in the midst of the trials that beset 
the believing poor.” — The Lutheran and Missionary , 
Philadelphia. 


3 


“Anton, the Fisherman.” — “We call the special at- 
tention of the public to this beautiful book, just issued 
by the Lutheran Board of Publication. It is from the 
famous Hoffmann of Dresden, who has won a world-wide 
fame as the writer of popular stories for the young. The 
translation is so natural and graceful, that no one would 
suspect its German origin. The book is in the best style 
of book-making, and has elicited universal admiration. 
Let the Church encourage our publications, with a prompt, 
cheerful, and generous patronage .” — Lutheran Observer. 


“Rene, the Little Savoyard.” 

By Franz Hoffmann. Translated by J. F. Smith, Esq. 
16mo, Cloth, Two Excellent Original Engravings, $0.85. 

« I have just read with great pleasure, * Rene,’ in your 
very attractive Fatherland Series. It is a brilliant little 
story, and is well translated. The children (and their 
parents) will be delighted with these pure and beautiful 
books, which I hope may have the wide circulation they 
deserve.” Yours, C. P. Krauth. 


“FRITZ; OR, FILIAL LOVE.’’ 

By Franz Hoffmann. Translated by M. A. Manderson. 
16mo, Cloth, One First Class Original Engraving, $0.65. 

“A charming story, founded upon the life of one of 
Frederick the Great’s generals. The healthy pious tone 
that pervades the book, as well as the literary merit, should 
recommend it to every family and Sunday-school Library. 
We venture to say that no boy will read this pleasant nar- 
rative without wishing to know more of Prussia’s great 
king.’ 


4 


“GEYER WALTY; 

OR, FIDELITY REWARDED.” 

By Franz Hoffmann. Translated by M. A. Manderson. 

16mo, Cloth, Seven Superior Original Engravings, 

drawn by D. R. Knight, Esq., and engraved by Van Ingen & Snyder, in 
their very best manner, and printed on the best quality of plate paper. 

We have no fear, in offering this beautiful book to our 
patrons, that they will not be pleased with it, either in a 
literary or artistic point of view. Geyer Walty is a sturdy, 
healthy story, worth reading by young or by old, and will 
bear comparison with the best tales of its class. No pains 
have been spared upon this volume, the translation and en- 
gravings being all original , and of the most expensive 
character. 

The present book is the last of the first set of the Fa- 
therland Series. The 6 volumes will be put up in an 
extra neat case , and will be sold at $5.00, including the box. 

Other Volumes are in preparation, and will be pub- 
lished as rapidly as possible. We trust that in future The 
Lutheran Church will feel that the interests of our 
Sunday Schools will not be neglected. 

We call upon the entire Church to aid us in our efforts. 

The Board of Publication have entered upon this under- 
taking by no means unadvisedly. Co-operating with numer- 
ous German scholars well read in this class of literature, 
we have selected a series of works to be published as 
rapidly as circumstances will permit — works that will 
surely commend themselves to all interested in the Sunday 
School and the family. 

The genuine religious sentiment, the touching pathos, the 
heartsomeness, as well as the dramatic interest of these 
stories of Hoffmann, of Horn, and of kindred writers, are 
well known to the German reader; and we trust by our 


5 


translations to make German thought better known to the 
youthful English reader, whom we hope to familiarize with 
scenes and incidents of the Fatherland. 

We ask the kind consideration and countenance of the 
Book Trade generally, but particularly of those engaged 
in the publishing and sale of Sunday-school books. 

We add a few of the many flattering notices we have 
received from our friends. 

The Fatherland Series. From the German. Phila- 
delphia: Lutheran Board of Publication. — “Under this 
title the Lutheran Board of Publication have begun what 
promises to be an interesting and useful series of Sunday- 
school books. They comprise translations from some of 
the best German writers for the young, carefully selected 
from an evangelical stand-point, with a view to make Ger- 
man thought better known to English youthful readers, and 
to familiarize them with the scenes and incidents of German 
life. The two volumes just issued are entitled, ‘In the 
Midst of the North Sea,’ and ‘Anton, the Fisherman.’ 
Both are interesting, capital books, having a good deal of 
dramatic power, and pervaded by a beautiful Christian 
faith and simplicity. The first named shows the sad evils 
of an envious, jealous spirit; and the last is a testimony 
to the sure word of Scripture, ‘ Trust in the Lord and do 
good, so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt 
be fed .’” — The Sunday-school Times. 

Lawrence , Kansas , March I, 1870. 

“Your books lately published, ‘In the Midst of the 
North Sea,’ and ‘ Anton, the Fisherman,’ are first rate, and 
with such books your reputation will soon be established. 
I am well pleased 'with your commendable efforts and 
success in getting out good books. 

“Yours, H. B. Belmer.” 


8 


York, Pa., April 4, 1870. 

“Please send me ‘Cottage by the Lake.’ The other 
volumes of the Fatherland Series I have. I am much 
pleased with the books. If you publish a thousand volumes, 
send them all to me, and draw on me for the amount they 
cost. J. H. Menges.” 

Lockport, April 9, 1870. 

“ Since I have three of the Series you are publishing at 
present, I would desire to have the first number — ‘The 
Cottage by the Lake.’ This number you have not sent me. 
Those you sent me I read with great interest,* and am much 
pleased with them, and trust they may be largely circulated. 

“ Yours, truly, M. ORT.” 

Canton , O., April 4, 1870. 

“ Enclosed find the amount of your bill for the ‘ Father- 
land Series.’ The books are very interesting, and my 
children are delighted with them. 

“Yours, L. M. Kuhns.” 

Harrisburg, April 7, 1870. 

“Your book entitled ‘Fritz,’ is all right. Go ahead; 
the more of that kind you publish the better. 

“Yours, fraternally, G. F. Stelling.” 

Selinsgrove, April 6, 1870. 

“ I am glad to see you bringing out such nice, neat books. 
You can send us one copy of all new publications until 
otherwise ordered. Consider us standing subscribers. 

“Yours, J. G. L. Shindel.” 

Frostburg , Md., April 6, 1870. 

“‘The Fatherland Series’ I am pleased with. They 
compare favorably with any of the publications of the day 
—are a credit to the Society. 

“Yours, H. Bishop.” 

18 3 


92 








































































% 










































* 


a 


. 


























V 































/ 









































. V 























































■ /\#; ^ \w/ 

* * * a* i "*!v° * o^° c° no « 

ov^ •il*; W °4|™| 

* /SvUl Hlfe? a. rs _> « *1 <• SI 


u X 

^ v \. 0 


* <0 ^ *j> *^*&mr* -v 

f OO, qV 1 

^ X<7 O * _s£5ttv.v, * O .A ** 


* X' 


► O o_» 

(, ONO ? & 

< > « 




-«9«r tf * 

°o 

,V V" <7 V V rt 

-vV’/V-vV 

♦o^ 


O 4* * 
'V 4? fc 

w « 

. ^' f K 



o r «. ^ 



■ ^ °*‘ O* c 0 " 0 ' 

*A A* 



n 1 


*g *> Qr V if* 'vfc'Uj \\V\Xr 1 «. V ' - 

***jp *#**« „ 0 ’* ^ c q, \ 

^ .'fi: -WH* V* 

f \ IW; ^ •**-• 

<>/• 


✓ ° Y\H * aT ^a. V f* 

»/^'° - l A°c ot,0 '>,°A ’ * 'V'V l " 

J, • % C° ** jSMl* ' °0 .*3l 




> c o v Vv^ %# <r V? 

. * y/» .-V &+ & + tAw/Vi, o 

/U <i T ^ r <a * 10 4W/& ° <• 

^ 2 — * : c,,o - o - 


\ % 'Tf'C? O r vTN ~ z o’ 

? ; XX i WmM ~ c5?^ * ipfli? ® ^ 

r * ^v oTOFa „V Vv <V 

><\* -/v° * ^'■°*°**\* * * '>^ 1 : 

-MV«v ?g 

oiaK: ao. *_«• ipvv. 


AO 






■'*, ji 

<h% 


: %<? : 
r as** „ 


> V" 


♦ * * 


* x' 


*U»; A, l®; Aq, £ 
o V? 3 y^ . 0 ,°V 

K 0 *0 \ <- -V * V* 

' ^ * rCT * aX v « i\\WA o < 


Vv . 

VV 

1 „* v \ ^W: «S? -rL ,-*s®jr«r « 

V * /.££♦: V * ' A* - 

; -w f 

o ^ : 

V O n *p. 

v O K 0° A^> 


A^ * 



"qo a? 

•\/ 

V ° 

*■ * A 



:kman 

ERY INC. 


- & > 

/.•“•/V^^o^co' 

* * T w G U ♦ 

• -*** *- ' 


APR 92 


N. MANCHESTER, 
INDIANA 46962 



c* ^ 




